A Stray New Life
by AlexJanna
Summary: Heero is on the run for his life when he's saved by a beautiful and kind carpenter named Duo. Duo offers Heero a warm safe place in his home and inadvertently in his heart as well, but outside forces are conspiring to destroy Heero forever.Warn:m-preg,NCS
1. The Begining of The Begining

**A Stray New Life**

Warnings**:** M-preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

Chapter 01: The Beginning of The Beginning

* * *

A fist connected with his face and his head ricochet off the brick wall of the alley way. A foot connected to his ribs, but he kept his arms wrapped protectively around his abdomen shielding the life within. His whole body felt like it was bruised, but he wouldn't stop fighting. He knew he couldn't stop fighting.

Normally he wouldn't have even had to worry about getting out of a situation like this. He was more than capable of beating up a couple of lowlife thugs, but he had been distracted. He had been upset. Still, it wasn't a valid excuse except at the moment the thugs had jumped him the only thought on his mind had been to escape that place and protect the fragile life within him.

It had been a horrible relationship. He knew that now.

He had thought him self in love. Thought him self being taken care of. Thought him self being loved in return. He wasn't. He can see that now. It's amazing just how much he can see at the moment.

His bruised and bleeding face was pressed painfully against the alley wall and his arms were being wickedly wrenched behind his back.

This can't be happening. It can't be happening. He had to get away. He had to run. Fight. Claw. Spit. Scratch. ANYTHING!

"You little shit!" The large oaf restraining his throbbing arms pulled back and slammed him into the brick façade again. "I'll teach you to fight back, whore."

"Hold him still while I cut those pants off him."

No! He began to struggle again, which earned him little more than cruel laughter and a harsh yank on his bloody messy hair. How could he have let this happen?

He was running to get away from this type of thing. He was going to get away and start over. Get a job, rent a nice apartment; see a good obstetrician. He was going to get away from _him_.

* * *

Duo whistled to himself as he strolled down the darkened street on his way home. It had been a hard day on site and his body ached in a good way. It reminded him that he was alive, that he _worked_ for a living.

Pausing in his melody, Duo flipped his braid over his shoulder and picked at the palm of his hand. Got it!

A rather large splinter was pulled from his callused skin. It's not that he didn't wear gloves it's just that he didn't like to wear them. They hindered his work. You can't do wonderful carpentry if you can't feel with your fingers.

He risked horrid splinters for his work and he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

Besides, he got paid under the table; cash in full. Some say that the only things you can truly depend on in life are death and taxes. He had escaped death more times than he cared to count and he certainly wasn't going to let taxes get him down, if he could help it that is.

Harsh laughter followed by an enraged and weakened growl hit his ears from an alley turn off just ahead of him.

Curiosity got the better of Duo and he turned the corner to see two huge brutes of men laughing tauntingly at a shorter, restrained and bloody form.

Duo may not be a hero, but there were just some things he couldn't stand. And this scene just screamed, "Don't stand me!"

"Hey!" He yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doing to him?!"

The two men stopped in their torture while their captive slumped against the brick he had been pushed into. "Get out of here! Mind your own damned business."

Duo bristled. These men didn't seem to realize who they were dealing with. "I'll only tell you this once. Step away from him and I won't have to kill you."

The thugs began to laugh and pointed mockingly at him. Yes, he knew he was shorter than a lot of men, but he also knew that he was taller than a lot of men too. He was also mean like a pit-bull and fast like a viper.

"I'm warning you. Step away from him and I won't have to thoroughly kick your asses." Duo flexed his hands. He was still wearing his work belt and he was readying himself to grab at his carpentry tools if indeed he needed them to defeat these assholes. Somehow he highly doubted it though.

"Go back to your mommy, shithead. Us men have to teach this little whore a lesson." They laughed at their own attempts at humor then turned back to their prey that had managed to twist himself around and lean his back against the wall.

Those bozos just didn't get the severity of their situation. Duo had no scruples about killing if he had to. You learned not to be gentle on those that viewed you as a victim when you grew up on the streets. "I warned you."

He was on them like a flash of lightning.

Knee to the stomach. Fist to the throat. Choke hold. Pressure point. It was over before it had really begun.

They underestimated their opponent and now they were sprawled painfully on the asphalt unconscious and bruised.

Duo wiped his hands on his jeans then turned toward their would-be victim.

His head was covered in messy chocolate brown hair made even messier with drying blood and dirt. Duo could see scrapes and heavy bruises on his legs and arms. He had slumped forward with his arms wrapped around his belly and his legs stretched out in front of him.

He looked fragile and broken, but the dim light in the alley showed toned muscles rippling through his arms and defined steel in his legs.

Shaking his head, Duo squatted in front of him and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, buddy. You doing ok? They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?"

The stranger shook his head then lifted his gaze to look at his savior. Duo almost lost his balance when he saw his face.

His eyes were the deepest purest blue he had ever seen. Deep like the ocean, but cold as ice. His skin was tanned and covered in drying blood. A gash over his right eye was bleeding sluggishly and his lower lip had been split. His left cheek was turning black and his nose was a little bit bloody.

"I bet you've seen better days." The silent stranger let his brow crease in a scowl before he winced in pain and let his face relax. "I'm Duo Maxwell." The carpenter stuck his hand out slowly offering it in friendship.

Heero looked at the hand then back to his savior. He would have been raped then probably left for dead had this strange man not come into the alley. He wouldn't have been able to protect him self had it not been for him.

Clasping Duo's hand in a firm grip the stranger said, "Heero Yuy." He paused. "Thank you."

Duo let his new friend's hand go as he shrugged. "Nah, it was nothing. I can't resist a damsel in distress." He chuckled then rubbed the back of his neck when Heero's face grew into a fearsome glare meant to scorch like the fires of hell. "I'm just kidding!"

He got back to his feet and held out an assisting hand. "I'm actually pretty sure you could kick my ass if you tried."

Heero nodded. Good, he was honorable as well as half way intelligent. The dumb ones never last long. "I would have dealt with them my self, but they… took me by surprise."

Duo listened to the disbelieving and berating tone in his new friend's voice and could tell that Heero was not a man who could be easily startled by anything. "We all have our off days."

Heero looked at him with a strange expression then bent down to retrieve the bag that now held every worldly possession he had ever held dear. His whole life stuffed into a dirty green JanSport backpack.

"Were you headed home when they attacked you?"

His companion's voice broke him out of his suddenly depressing thoughts. "No, I… I don't have a home."

Duo looked at him. He was clutching the beat up backpack like a life raft. An idea began to formulate. He didn't know where this blue-eyed man came from or what he was running from, but he wasn't going to let unknowns stop him once he made a decision. "Good. You can stay with me then."

Heero halted mid step and stared at his savior with pinched eyebrows and confused eyes. "You don't even know me."

"Nope!" Duo smiled widely. "I don't, but you don't have anywhere to go and I have a spare bedroom. It works out perfectly."

"But I don't ha-"

"I didn't ask if you had any money did I?" Duo kept his bright smile on his face, lighting up the alley and blinding Heero with its optimism.

Heero looked back down at his backpack then pulled it closer to his belly.

It's true. He had no money, nowhere to go. He had runaway.

The man he thought he loved had been abusive on so many different levels it wasn't even funny. Everyday, he had been put down; sometimes beaten, sometimes coerced into willing giving him self, and sometimes raped without remorse. It had been hell.

A year, perhaps more had gone by since Heero finally realized that this wasn't love, but he didn't have the strength or motivation to get himself out… till three weeks ago.

That's when he had found out. Found out that he was pregnant. Heero knew what _he_ would do if he found out, so he hid it, his morning sickness and exhaustion, till the opportune moment. He hid them thoroughly and well till he was able to pack away all of his belongings and steal as much cash as he could then climb down the fire escape and disappear into the night.

He had been panicked and jumpy. He was worried about himself, worried about his unborn child and had let his guard down.

A chill passed over him once again when that thought reminded him of how very close he had come to potentially losing his baby.

He knew stress, trauma, or any number of things could cause a miscarriage and he was scared to death that something might have happened to his baby. He not only owed his life to this stranger smiling kindly at him, but the life of his baby.

"Would you really take me in?"

Duo let his smile fade and become replaced with a serious expression. It looked so oddly out of place to Heero. "I'm perfectly serious. You are in need of a place to stay, at least for a little while. I'm not asking for anything in return, I just want to help. Call it my good deed for the day." His smile slid back up and Heero marveled at how effortless the transformation looked.

If it were just him, he would sleep on the streets and eat out of a garbage can, but it wasn't just him. "Alright. But if you try anything I will kill you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

A/N: That's the first chapter! Please Review!

5


	2. A Warm Place to Stay

Gundam Wing

**A Stray New Life**

Warnings: M-preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

Chapter 02: Warm Place to Stay

* * *

The walk back to Duo's apartment had been silent and contemplative. Duo studied his new companion with a frown on his brow.

There was something about him. He was bloody, bruised, but alarmingly beautiful. He seemed to almost _glow_ in the faint moonlight.

Heero's brow was knitted in a deep scowl and was glaring at the path in front of him as if the very sidewalk was the cause for his current situation. Duo chuckled silently to himself. He could almost see the concrete shrink in on its self in fear.

He scanned his eyes over his new friend taking in his apparel as they turned onto his street. The short haired man was wearing only what looked like a battered green sleeveless shirt and spandex bike shorts that were ripped down one leg from his scuffle with Dumber and Dumberer. His long sculpted legs were attached to feet shoed in a pair of what looked like hand-me-down mustard yellow running shoes.

It suddenly occurred to Duo that this man was running away from something sinister; maybe not "government plot to take over the world" sinister, but something or someone definitely malevolent.

As a general rule Duo liked to keep to his own business, but this strong, silent, and lost man intrigued him to no end.

They stopped in front of his building and were soon standing in front of his apartment on the third floor. "It's not much and please ignore my shit tossed everywhere, but it will have to hold the both of us till you get your feet under you."

Heero nodded silently to Duo's half joking half serious, but with a genuine smile, announcement.

Duo's giant key ring jingled like chimes as he turned the lock with practiced familiarity and threw the door open like a revealing.

Cautiously, Heero stepped into the apartment ahead of a smiling Duo.

It was cluttered almost to the point of overflowing, but it was bright and cheery. The walls were a soft sandy orange with tons of framed posters lining them. A well loved over stuffed couch sat in front of a moderately sized television. The scuffed coffee table was covered with magazines and books of all kinds, cooking, cars, hunting, fashion, design, construction, architecture. It seemed as though Duo had a whole news stand right there in his living room.

"Like I said, it's not much, but it's mine; it's home." Duo scanned the room along with Heero and gave a satisfied nod.

_Home_. That word sparked something in Heero's belly, like a twisting.

Even when he had felt safe and truly loved with… with _him_, Heero hadn't really felt at home. His room had felt barren and empty. His bed cold or frightening. The silence of that place had often been shattered by his silent, sobbless tears, the sound of flesh connecting violently, scathing remarks, or just plain screaming in unfounded anger. The walls had absorbed hollow endearments and rehearsed apologies. They had been tainted.

But this place. Duo's apartment didn't feel deathly cold to Heero. The walls were warm cheery colors and the floor was scattered with paper and various articles of clothing. It felt lived in and not sparse and coldly white.

"So, what do you think?"

Duo's innocent question swept Heero's disjointed and painful recollections under the rug. Turning his head and taking in the atmosphere once again Heero almost whispered, "It's warm."

"You're not too warm are you? I can turn the thermostat down." Duo began to move toward the hall off to the right when Heero's hand shot out and clutched at his forearm.

"No!" Duo looked at his guest with a startled frown. Heero swallowed his sudden and ridiculous panic. "It's fine. I… I like the warmth." He couldn't help, but observe that the skin underneath his dirty and scraped hand was soft, firm, and utterly warm.

Shaking off the feeling of his heart clinching at the sight of the sudden fear in those cold, deep eyes, Duo patted the hand still clasped to his arm. "Alright. If you're comfortable I'll leave it."

Heero quickly withdrew his hand and glanced around the room one more time. "Where should I put my bag?"

"Right this way." The braided man grinned disarmingly and turned down the hall toward two wide open doors and one closed one.

"This is the bathroom." Heero heard Duo's melodic voice point out as they passed. "That's my room." Heero sneaked a peek. To his surprise to room seemed rather organized. Only a minimal amount of things were spread over the floor and the bed was sporadically made.

"And this," Duo stopped before the closed door, "will be your room."

Pushing the door open Duo stepped aside and let his guest enter first. He watched as Heero cautiously stepped over the threshold and walked over to the neatly made bed.

The way Heero's strong capable hands ghosted almost tenderly over the geometric bed spread made Duo frown. It was almost as though the beautiful young man had never seen anything so wondrous in his life. His hesitancy and careful observation of everything around him didn't sit well with the long haired carpenter.

It became blaringly clear that Heero had been denied things; things that would seem ordinary and plain, common place to most, but held untold significance to the messy haired runaway. Duo felt his happy smile fade as he continued to watch his guest look around the warmly furnished room with something akin to undisguised longing.

"I hope you'll be comfortable. If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me." Duo gave his stoic new friend a gentle smile and silently drifted from the door way, leaving the door open. It wouldn't do to make Heero feel shut in. Duo knew all too well what it felt like to be lost, uncertain, and cornered. He wanted to help his friend feel comfortable not cornered.

Heero listened to the retreating foot steps enter the living room before he gingerly set his backpack down in the bed and sat next to it, taking in his surroundings and contemplated how he had gotten there.

Living in fear and disguising his pregnancy for three weeks, escaping the prison like apartment for the first time in God knows how long, being attacked by thugs, and finally being rescued and taken in by a beautiful man with a long braid and bright friendly violet eyes. It all seemed so surreal.

Placing a suddenly trembling hand over his flat and muscular belly, Heero sighed in exhaustion. It had never occurred to him that this would happen.

He had heard of other men becoming pregnant with loving spouses and devoted partners. They had love and affection and had wanted the joy of bringing another life into this world. He just had never thought he would end up in the steadily growing number of pregnant men in the world.

It had been discovered a long time ago that some men were born with the capabilities of carrying a child to full term then giving birth to a healthy baby. Since then the technology had been invented to medically and scientifically alter men without the ability. Some still saw the practice with scorn and held deep prejudice against those born with it.

Others opened their minds and hearts. If it was a natural occurrence, why fight it? Change happens and obviously the human being was evolving.

The number of natural born men had never been very great and had never acquired a designation for their sex. They were simply considered men who could and sometimes would bare children.

It is for that reason that Heero never thought to find out if he was one of that small number. He had never even thought of the possibility until his morning sickness had started and his exhaustion began to set in.

Heero had snuck out one late night and bought a pregnancy test at a local grocery store. Taking the test in the restroom at the back of the store, it seemed as though his entire world had shifted up side down. The test had been positive.

It was that night that his plan began to form. _He_ had never been a tender lover, always rough and always sadistic to the point of evil. Heero didn't want his child to ever have to deal with that man. And it _was_ his child.

He had been neglected all his life. His parents had never really wanted a child and had treated him much like burden. Heero it seemed could never do anything to garner pride or acceptance from the couple that had given him life and he finally escaped his shallow husk of a family at the age of seventeen. Not long after leaving his childhood house, Heero had met _him_.

Because of his naivety Heero couldn't see the snake in a hare's clothing. By the time he realized his misjudgment in character it had been too late.

Fearing for his life, for the first time, and fearing for the life of his unborn child, Heero had fled. He wanted to carry his baby, feel it kick and move in his womb. He wanted to shower it with all the love and affection he had been denied. He vowed not to let that sadistic bastard deny his child its life, and he was sure _he_ would force him to abort his impromptu pregnancy.

He wouldn't let that happen.

Falling backward onto the cloud soft mattress, Heero sleepily burrowed under the covers and curled into a ball. He stroked a hand gently, absentmindedly over his flat stomach. "I'll protect you, Little Love."

* * *

Duo looked up as the early morning sunlight filtered through the kitchen curtains and the sound of hurried foot steps, the slam of the bathroom door, and the unmistakable sound of retching reached his ears.

Frowning slightly, Duo walked toward the door with his early morning coffee mug in hand. Knocking softly on the door, he asked through the composite wood, "Hey, buddy. Are you alright in there?"

He was met with the sound of more heaving. He tried the handle and discovered it to be unlocked, so he slowly opened the door and stepped inside. "You ok there, Heero?"

"I'm sorry." He had thought he was over most of the morning sickness. "I'll… I'll get my stuff and be out of your way, just give me a minute."

Sighing, Duo set his mug down in the bathroom counter and turned to the cupboard to grab a wash cloth. "Nonsense! You're not in my way. Every body gets sick, Heero. I'm sure you're just stressed over last night and what ever you were running away from."

Heero looked up from hanging his head into the toilet and gave his host a startled look.

Chuckling, Duo placed the now cool and wet wash cloth on the back of Heero's neck and smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. I've done my fair share of running away. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

The coolness on the back of his heated neck and the smooth happy sound of Duo's voice were settling Heero's stomach amazingly well. "Thank you, Duo."

"Don't mention it." It had been such a long time since Duo had felt even slightly needed. It left a warm feeling in his chest.

* * *

Both men were seated in the kitchen, Duo with a mug of coffee filled with sugar and Heero with a couple slices of toast and a glass of orange juice.

"You sure you don't want any coffee?" Duo had never heard of an adult that didn't like coffee. It was… unheard of!

Heero shook his head. Caffeine was bad for the baby. "I like the orange juice."

Duo gave him a soft smile then took on a serious face. "Alright. I have to go to work in about," he glanced at the watch on his wrist, "ten minutes. I'll be gone all day and be home around seven thirty."

Heero nodded his understanding, but continued to listen to Duo's voice as if in a trance. He spoke with kindness. His voice seemed to reverberate with warmth and its deep timber was surprisingly comforting.

"You're welcome to do whatever you want while I'm gone, just don't call China or anything." Duo chuckled then almost dropped his coffee when Heero gave him the barest, smallest of smiles in response to his horrible joke. It was only a ghost of the real thing, but the affect on the stoic boy's face was immediate.

He lit up. It was almost as if he glowed with an inner light. As beautiful as he looked at that moment it became blaringly obvious what he was running away from.

Underneath the cleaned cuts, scrapes, and bruises Duo could see yellowing flesh around his eyes and up and down his arms. Old scars, some long and jagged, others round and deep brown could be seen in varying degrees of healing.

Before he could let the wounded angel sitting in his kitchen catch on that his secret was out, Duo kept his smile up before standing to empty his cup in the sink. "I should get going now. I don't want to be late for the buss."

Snatching up his tool belt, keys, phone, and wallet from the table in the entrance way Duo looked back at his guest. "I left my cell number on the fridge incase you need me." Heero nodded and stood to put his dishes away.

Bringing a hand up to his mouth to worry at his thumb, Duo called to him again. "Heero, I won't force you to tell me, but if you ever need to talk about it, I'll listen." And before he could hear his guest's answer he fled out the door and toward the buss stop.

Heero stood facing the sink in stunned silence. He had noticed.

He had been hoping Duo wouldn't notice his old wounds underneath the new ones he had received at the hands of the thugs from the night before. Heero had been afraid that Duo would look at him in disgust and turn him out of his house.

He hadn't though.

Instead he had offered to listen to him. He hadn't pressured him to tell him why he had runaway; he had just offered to listen if he ever felt like talking about it.

Heero knew he would eventually tell his beautiful host, but he didn't think he could any time soon. He wanted to cherish the feeling of warmth and security before he was kicked out for being pregnant.

Stepping away from the sink and walking into the living room, Heero surveyed his surroundings. In the light of day the room looked much worse than it had before. Something inside of Heero screamed at him.

He had to repay Duo for his kindness. The only thing he could really do at the moment was tidy up. And tidy up, he did.

* * *

Duo unlocked his door and stepped inside his home or what looked like the twilight zone.

His front entry had been swept to the point of sparkling and his living room had been vacuumed, organized, straightened, dusted and just plain cleaned.

"Holy Shit." Duo took a step into his apartment and almost staggered.

It smelled like… the candle he had bought so many years ago because if reminded him of… Shaking his head Duo walked into the living room and there he found his house guest sound asleep on the over stuffed and freshly fluffed sofa.

Sighing deeply, Duo placed a gentle hand on Heero's shoulder and shook him.

Springing up from his lounging position on the couch Heero yelped in surprise and nearly fell to the floor, eyes wild and frightened.

"Whoa! Calm down! Heero it's me, Duo." Placing gentle but firm hands on the startled man's shoulders Duo looked into Heero's once again alert and understanding eyes. "You ok, man?"

Heero let Duo's voice and warm hands calm his rapid heart as he consciously evened out his breathing. He had thought he was still there. Still with _him_. "I'm sorry. I was… startled."

Nodding in understanding, the carpenter sat back on the coffee table and leveled his gaze on his now calm friend. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

At first his brow creased in confusion then Heero's forehead smoothed over in comprehension. "I'm sorry if I over stepped my boundaries, but I wanted to repay you for your hospitality."

"Don't worry about it." Duo waved off his apology. "I just thought I stepped into an alternate dimension when I opened my door. Nearly gave me a heart attack thinking someone stole all my stuff." His disarming smile, made Heero's tense muscle relax and his features smooth.

"You know, if you feel uncomfortable staying here without some sort of compensation, we could work something out." Duo did need to clean his apartment and get caught up on his back log of laundry.

Heero looked down into his lap and frowned thinking it over. He did feel like somewhat of a burden staying in this beautiful man's home for free. He didn't have a job to pay rent with nor did he think many jobs were available for a pregnant man, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"I could cook, clean and keep up the apartment while you're at work."

"Exactly! I'll even leave money for you to pick up groceries and stuff!" Duo bounced in his place then a thought occurred to him. "You can actually cook though right?"

Heero let a ghost of a smirk pull at his battered lips. "Yeah."

"Great." Duo couldn't get over how amazing Heero looked when he let even the barest of emotions through his shields. "It's a deal then." He stuck out his hand to shake on it.

Their hands met and it seemed as though a spark raced up their arms. Their eyes met and Heero felt a tendril of fear race up his spine.

This couldn't be happening! It was one thing to feel welcomed and safe with this impossibly beautiful and kind man, but it was another to feel his heart pound like that.

Jerking his hand away Heero stood up abruptly and fought off the sudden hit of vertigo his actions brought.

"I'll get started on dinner." And he rushed to the kitchen leaving a bewildered and confused Duo behind him.

His hand still tingled where his guest's skin had touched his and his stomach was warm as if he had just eaten a full meal. Duo knew he was attracted to this beautiful stranger, but he couldn't let himself delve into that attraction. At least not yet.

He didn't know where he had come from or where he was going. Who or what he was running away from. For all he knew he could be aiding and abiding an ax murderer, but he highly doubted that.

There were so many things about Heero that were a mystery to him. His body seemed so fit for something far more grueling than house keeping, but he seemed almost fragile at times. His body was riddled with old wounds at various staged of healing which led Duo to believe he must have been abused in some way.

Heero Yuy was a complete mystery and Duo was suddenly eager and wary to find out all he could about his impromptu guest.

* * *

A/N: That is chapter 02. Heero's life has been so sad. But don't worry! It gets better! At least eventually.

7


	3. Frightening Truths

Gundam Wing

Warning: M-preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

**A Stray New Life**

Chapter 03: Frightening Truths

* * *

They had slipped into a relatively comfortable routine over the next two weeks.

Duo would leave for work after sharing a light breakfast with Heero; then Heero would get to work on the house hold maintenance.

He had discovered that not only was Duo messy, but had been neglecting regular maintenance of his home. Within the first couple of days Heero had tightened a number of loose hinges, fixed two leaky faucets and pulled a hair ball the size of his head out of the shower drain.

To Duo, Heero was a God send. He didn't particularly believe in God, but something about Heero just screamed "designed by a deity". Little did he know that his thoughts were mirrored almost word for word.

Heero couldn't believe the goodness in his every day life since he had been found about to be raped and beaten in a dark alley. Duo was a dream come true. He felt safe and secure in Duo's home and didn't have to live in fear of beatings for small infractions or nights of pain and blood.

The only draw back was that it would have to come to an end. Heero could no longer hide his pregnancy from his new friend. His belly was beginning to swell with life and he knew it wouldn't be long before Duo began to ask questions about his frequent naps or his occasional bouts of sickness. The thought of seeing disgust, scorn, or malice in those beautifully expressive violet eyes frightened Heero more than being out on the streets.

Heero had decided that tonight was the night he was going to tell Duo about his baby. And he was so nervous he could barely keep from throwing up as he went about his daily chores.

It was almost time for Duo to come home from work and Heero was bent over a pot of sauce, adding ingredients and stirring the contents when it hit him.

A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. Clutching tightly to the counter before his knees melted under him, Heero squeezed his eyes closed waiting for it to pass. It let up and Heero was able to pry his fingers from the counter and steady himself.

He had been getting small dizzy spells for a while, but nothing quite as severe as that and it scared him more than he was willing to admit. He hoped nothing was wrong with the baby.

Slowly stepping away from the counter, he decided to sit down in the living room. Perhaps he was just tired and needed a short rest. Half way out of the kitchen another wave sent the room spinning and his feet out from under him.

Heero barely registered a throbbing pain on the side of his head and the cold linoleum underneath him before the black spots filled up his vision and he passed out completely.

* * *

Duo stepped through the door of his building at seven fifteen, with a sigh of relief and a roll of his aching shoulders. It had been a bitch to get those mahogany cabinets mounted all by his lonesome, but he had managed. He was paying for it though.

Finally, he reached the top of the stairs and began to trudge through the hall toward his door, barely noting the smell of someone's cooking burning in the air. Huh, smelled like some sort of pasta sauce.

That brought thoughts of Heero to his mind; Heero and his fabulous cooking. Duo had been hard pressed to think of a time he had eaten anything tastier than the food that Heero placed in front of him. That man was a God send.

As always, thoughts of Heero brought a tingling to his belly and a warming to his heart. He couldn't really deny his attraction for the messy haired man even if he wanted to, but these two weeks living with him and watching him had brought new feelings to mull over. Feelings that he wasn't quite sure he knew what to do with.

Finding himself outside his door, Duo realized that the smell was coming from his apartment. Strange; Heero never burnt anything.

Quickly pulling out his key and rushing into the apartment, Duo called out to his new friend. "Heero?"

He rounded the corner and promptly felt the world tilt. "Oh my God, Heero!"

His friend was lying sprawled out on floor partway between the kitchen and living room, a small puddle of blood pooling around his head. Rushing to his side, Duo gently pushed Heero over onto his back and examined him. He was completely unconscious and a sluggishly bleeding gash had matted the hair in the right side of his head with blood.

"Shit! Heero!" He was beginning to panic. No matter what he did his beautiful guest would not wake up. "Oh God!"

Pulling off his jacket, Duo folded it up and slid it underneath Heero's head then grabbed the phone. Dialing three numbers, Duo tried to tell himself to stay calm, but it was so hard when he felt so damned helpless.

* * *

"Mr. Maxwell? You came in with Mr. Yuy, correct?"

A doctor in a white lab coat with a stern expression addressed him as he stood just inside the doors to the emergency room. Duo had been waiting for well over an hour to get any news about his friend and could barely keep himself still.

"Is he alright?" Duo was on the verge of shaking the doctor to get any information out of him. He was speaking too damned slowly!

"We have some questions for you, if you would follow me." That sounded like a loaded statement if Duo ever heard one. Raising an eyebrow, Duo let the doctor lead him into a more private office near the nurse's station.

Opening the door, Duo became aware of two police officers standing in the room. His brow knitted in confusion, but chose to refrain from comment.

"Mr. Maxwell, this is Detectives Mariano and Brownstone." Dr. Robert, Duo thought his name was, introduced them.

The men stepped forward and shook Duo's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm sorry, what do these guys have to do with Heero?" Duo asked, gesturing toward the two detectives.

"While I was examining Mr. Yuy, Mr. Maxwell, I discovered a multitude of injuries in various stages of healing." Duo nodded his head, he had noticed them too.

"Several of those injuries couldn't have been inflicted on accident." Dr. Robert continued. "We have reason to believe that Mr. Yuy has been the victim of abuse."

Duo nodded again then stilled. It all became clear.

Detective Mariano gave Duo a stern scowl, obviously trying to play bad cop. "Could you explain the doctor's findings, Mr. Maxwell?"

Duo raised an eyebrow fighting incredibly hard not to be defensive, but the nerve of these men, suggesting he would be the kind of man to harm another human being in such a way. "I've only known Heero for a short amount of time. I met him when he was being beaten up in an alleyway. I offered him the extra room in my apartment till he got his feet underneath him. I have no idea how he got those injuries. I didn't ask and he didn't tell."

Both the detectives deflated and the doctor nodded in acceptance which annoyed Duo more than it should have. "Is Heero awake? Why didn't you ask him how he was injured?"

"Victims of domestic abuse rarely press charges or are forth coming about their situation. Mr. Yuy refused to tell us how he got them and was very adamant that you had nothing to do with it." Dr. Robert supplied, making Duo straighten up in alarm.

"He's awake?" He barely noticed the two detectives leaving the room. All he was worried about was his stranger of a friend. "Can I see him?"

Nodding, Robert said, "First I would like to instruct you on his care." Seeing Duo nod, he continued. "He's on bed rest for the rest of today and all of tomorrow. He's to take these prenatal vitamins and drink plenty of liquids. The gash of the side of his head wasn't as severe as it appeared. He has four dissolvable stitches so he won't have to return to get them taken out."

The whole time Duo was nodding till something in the doctor's speech made him pause and back track. "Wait. Prenatal vitamins?"

"Yes." Dr. Robert gave him a strange look. "Mr. Yuy had yet to get on a prenatal vitamin. He hadn't been drinking enough liquids to support both him and the baby. That's why he passed out. He was over stressed and dehydrated."

Duo raised his hands to stop the doctor from continuing. "Whoa, hold up. Heero's pregnant?" It wasn't making any sense. Then he began to connect the dots.

Heero's frequent naps, the glow that seemed to permeate his very being, the morning sickness, and his refusal to drink anything with caffeine. Oh. My. God. Heero was pregnant. How could he not have noticed!? Why hadn't he told him?

"He didn't tell you?" Dr. Robert gave him a suspicious look. "I gather you're not the father then."

Duo didn't know what to think, but it explained why Heero had run away. He had run away to protect his baby. Duo pressed a hand to his chest with the impact that thought made. Heero couldn't have cared less about his own well being, but he had braved running away to keep his baby safe.

"How… How far along is he?" His voice sounded soft and hesitant.

"Nine weeks. A little over two months." Dr. Robert watched as the man in front of him turned pale then slowly regained some color to his face.

"Is the baby alright?" It was strange question. At least it sounded weird to Duo's ears. He never thought he would have to ask a doctor about a baby. It didn't feel quite as strange or out of place as he thought, though. An image of Heero with a large belly danced in his head leaving behind a fuzzy feeling all the way to his toes. Strange.

The doctor had to fight down the urge to smile. All the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together. This young man had let a complete stranger into his home and had rushed him to the hospital, stayed in the waiting room and from what the nurses had said, had been pacing like a nervous wreck from the moment his friend had been wheeled away. He may not even know it yet himself, but Dr. Robert saw it as plain as the braid on his stunned head.

"The baby is perfectly fine. A little stressed, but stabilized. The IV helped both Heero and his baby regain much of the liquids they were lacking." He finally stated.

Nodded again, Duo looked up at the doctor with hopeful eyes. "Can I see him?"

* * *

Heero laid in his bed staring out the window with unseeing eyes. A hand was rested protectively on his slightly swollen belly, its fingers stroking his baby through the hospital gown.

He sighed heavily. Stress and dehydration. He never thought… he could have killed his baby. That thought frightened him more than he liked. How careless of him.

The side of his head throbbed dully, reminding him just how close he had come to serious injury. It was a scary thought, it could have been so much worse than just four stitches that would dissolve on their own and an IV needle seated in his hand. His breathe caught and he fought back tears.

God, Duo must hate him now. He was probably thinking about how bothersome calling the ambulance was, how expensive the hospital stay was going to be.

A tear slid down his face. No. Duo wouldn't think those things. Somehow Heero just knew that Duo was worried about him, but when he finds out…

"Please don't cry."

Heero jumped and turned his head to find Duo standing next to his bed with a small smile. He leaned over and gently wiped the tears away and sat down in the chair next to Heero's bed. "How are you feeling, buddy?"

Heero couldn't look at his friend. He turned his head away and shut his eyes tightly. He felt ashamed.

Duo frowned sadly. He reached over and used his long gentle fingers to turn Heero's face to look at him. "Heero, why didn't you tell me?" Heero closed his eyes again, tears once again seeping out from behind his eye lids. "It's alright, Heero."

Heero suddenly felt a weight settle on the bed to his left and strong comforting arms wrap around his shoulders as his face was pressed into a warm chest. The damn broke and Heero found that he just couldn't hold it in any longer. All the loneliness, fear, confusion, uncertainty, came crashing down.

The messy haired man's body began to shake and Duo just tightened his hold and slowly rubbed his jerking back. "It's alright. Everything's going to be alright. I promise I won't leave you alone. I promise I'll be there for you."

Suddenly Duo was being squeezed in the tightest most desperate embrace he had ever felt. Heero was silently sobbing into his flannel shirt and had wrapped his arms around his waist so tightly Duo could barely breathe. But he just held Heero even closer, whispering reassurances and nonsense comforts into his blood crusted hair.

Finally, Heero began to pull himself together and he pulled back, but not completely out of Duo's embrace. "I'm sorry. Your shirt's wet."

Duo laughed and smiled down at his blushing friend. "It's alright. It'll dry."

"Thank you. For not leaving me."

Duo nudged Heero's chin up to look into his red rimmed ocean blue eyes. "That's what friends do. I want to be here for you, Heero."

Heero nodded and pressed his face back into Duo's chest then sighed and turned to press his cheek against the damp cloth. "I ran away to save my baby."

Duo stayed silent and simply listened. Offering comfort and closeness as Heero began to tell him his story.

"I had never known a family that loved me. I was simply a child to feed and clothe. When I had out grown my guardians' patients I was left to navigate the outside world by myself. I hadn't known love or affection since I was a small child, so when he came along and showed me kindness I… I was very easy to fool." Heero closed his eyes as the painful memories came back.

"At first every thing was great. I was in love with him and I thought he was in love with me as well, but he was possessive to the point of suspicious jealousy. I didn't see the signs 'till it was too late and I was afraid to leave." Duo's arms tightened around him, letting him know he was there.

"I had stayed with him for two years. He would beat me for the smallest infractions and…" Heero's breath caught and he fought the urge to be sick. "Sex was never gentle, sometimes he wouldn't even pretend to care if he hurt me, but some nights… he was openly violent." Duo fought back tears of his own for his friend.

"I hadn't known I could carry a child till the morning sickness started. I finally bought a test and took it in the bathroom at the grocery store I had snuck out to. That was when I knew I couldn't stay. I had to get out!" His grip on Duo tightened. "He would have killed it. He would have made sure I couldn't ever have another child, before he finally killed me. I couldn't let him do that so I left."

"And that's when I found you." Duo whispered. Heero's story was running through his head like a slide show, and it hurt. "I'm so sorry Heero." He leaned down and buried his face in his friend's hair struggling to hold back his own tears.

Heero loosened his hold on his friend and began to pull away. "I'll… I'll just get my stuff when they release me, then I'll go to a shelter. You won't have to worry about-"

Duo pulled him forcefully back into his embrace and urged, "Don't leave. Heero, I want to help. I… I would like to be there with you when you have your baby. I want to help you, please. Please let me help you."

"Duo?... Are you sure you want me?" Heero could barely believe what he was hearing. "I… I lied to you. How can you-"

"I know." Duo looked down into Heero's confused and bewildered eyes. "I know you lied and I probably would have done the same. I forgive you, now please stay with me." Duo felt like his life depended on it. He couldn't just let Heero leave to have this baby all by himself.

Closing his eyes to fight down the happy and relieved tears, Heero nodded his head into Duo's chest. "I'll stay. I want to stay with you. Thank you." His voice cracked as his tears broke free.

Duo smiled and buried his face into his friend's neck. _No. Thank you, Heero._

* * *

A/N: **Trivia Challenge!** If anyone can name the songs and their artists that I got the doctor and detectives' names from, I'll give you a virtual brownie! I'll post the answers with the next chapter! Keep a look out!

6


	4. Starting Anew

Gundam Wing

Warning: M-preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

**A Stray New Life**

Chapter 04: Starting Anew

* * *

Duo opened the door for his guest and new friend. Heero preceded the braided man inside and went to the kitchen to start dinner. He didn't know about Duo, but his stomach was complaining extremely loudly. He was so hungry.

"Don't worry about making dinner, Heero. You've had such an... exciting day." Duo chuckled nervously. "I'm just going to order pizza."

Heero turned to regard his friend with a questioning glance. He didn't know whether he was willing to let one of his duties slip. Would Duo think him lazy or incapable of fulfilling his end of the deal just because of his... condition? "Duo, it's my duty to-"

"Nonsense!" Duo exclaimed as he stepped toward his friend and placed warm strong hands on his shoulders. "The doctor said you needed your rest. You're going to be taking it easy for the next few days, so don't even think about refusing."

He smiled beautifully at the stunned Heero. "Now, what do you want on your pizza?"

Heero let a shy smile stretch on his lips as he began to think about what he wanted on a pizza. He hadn't had one in so very long. Glancing back at Duo's expectant eyes, Heero asked, "Pineapple, artichokes, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, and capers?" He had the strongest craving for capers for some reason.

"Uh..." Duo had never heard of such a strange combination. It sounded distinctly disgusting. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Nodding with a contemplative frown, Heero looked back at the slightly green carpenter. "I have the strangest craving for capers."

It suddenly all became clear. It was a craving. The doctor said Heero might be having cravings. "In that case then we can get two pizzas. Tell you the truth I don't think I could stomach that particular concoction." Giving Heero's blushing face a bright reassuring smile, Duo grabbed the cordless phone and dialed the local pizza place.

"_Hot Pie Pizza. How may I help you?"_

Duo greeted the bored sounding teen brightly. "I need a large pineapple, artichoke, mushroom, pepperoni, bacon, with capers? And a large-"

"_Sir that is honestly the weirdest pizza I have ever heard of."_ The teen sounded slightly nauseous.

Duo chuckled nervously and turned away from were Heero was scrubbing the blood from the kitchen floor. "Yeah, see, my roommate's pregnant and he just started getting cravings."

"_I feel for you man. Stalk up on ice cream and pickles."_

"Uh... thanks for the advice." Duo frowned amusedly. He wondered what this kid's experience was on satisfying cravings. Then again, he probably didn't want to know.

He finished the order hung up the phone and pulled some bills out of his wallet. "They should bring it by in forty-five minutes."

"Mm." Heero was down in his hands and knees scrubbing at the small dried puddle of blood with a liberal amount of baking soda and club soda. The doctor had told him it was unhealthy to inhale the fumes from cleaning chemicals and Heero was determined to do everything right when it came to his baby.

Duo placed a hand on Heero's tensed shoulder and nudged him into an upright position. "Heero you shouldn't be doing that! You could hurt yourself or the baby."

Frowning at his friend, the pregnant man stated, "But the stain will set."

"I don't care if the bloody stain sets! You're going to pull something... or something." He didn't sound very articulate, but he was determined to keep Heero from harming himself!

"Duo, I'm fine. I'm only going to-" Heero's words were cut off by a yelp of surprise as Duo suddenly swooped down and scooped him up off of the floor.

"Nope!" Duo's tone brooked no argument. "You're going to rest for the next few days and follow every one of the doctor's orders."

The abrupt change in altitude made the room spin causing Heero to clutch at the front of Duo's shirt and burry his face into Duo's shoulder trying to quell the sudden urge to throw up.

"Hey, buddy, you alright?" Duo looked down at the top of Heero's head as he walked into the living room and over to the couch to deposit his passenger on the soft cushions.

Reluctantly, Heero detached himself from Duo's shirt and sat back on the sofa letting the room's spinning slow to a stop. "I just got a little dizzy. I'm fine now."

"Sure you are. I'm going to get you a glass of water. Just stay put and _don't_ get up until I comeback." Duo retreated to the kitchen quickly enough to miss Heero's eyes roll in annoyance. It was Duo's fault he was dizzy in the first place.

Appearing in the living room in front of his suddenly droopy eyed room mate, Duo held out a glass of ice water with a smile. "The doctor said you needed to rest as much as possible for the next few days and drink lots of water."

"You know," Heero grumbled quietly as he took the glass from the braided carpenter, "you don't have to take care of me. I can manage."

Duo's face suddenly grew very serious. "I promised I wouldn't let you go through this alone." He tapped Heero's chin with his index finger before giving him a small smile. "I'm going to baby you as much as humanly possible, my protesting friend."

Sighing, Heero hid his grateful smile behind the glass of water as he chugged half of the refreshing liquid. He was still reeling from the thought that Duo wasn't going to kick him out. His messy haired head wouldn't let him believe that this amazing person was real.

He could still feel the slight throb from the stitched gash on the side of his head and it reminded him once again how important staying healthy truly was at the moment. The loss of his fragile little baby was something he was not willing to even comprehend.

Thinking back over the events leading up to his sitting in a warm homey living room with his beautiful roommate waiting on pizza suddenly seemed so very daunting. The cold horrors of his previous life seemed almost surreal in contrast to the aching contentment he felt nestled in the over stuffed sofa while Duo chuckled at whatever he had flipped the television onto. It all seemed so far away.

The horrors _he_ had inflicted may seem far away to Heero at this moment, but he will forever be branded with their sadistic scars. He wasn't sure if he would ever truly feel absolutely comfortable in his own skin, but the round burns scattered across his chest and the jagged discolored flesh over his lower back and upper thighs would forever remind him of _his_ cigarettes and _his_ heavy leather belt with the brass belt buckle.

Those scars amongst others will forever mar his body, but right now he did not care.

Right now he was warm, comfortable, _cared for_, and he had a fragile life inside him that needed him to be strong.

While sitting on that over stuffed sofa in that pleasantly warm and welcoming apartment next to the giggling braided carpenter with the friendly smile, Heero didn't have to think about all those horrible things. Heero could simply sit back and lay a protective hand over his nearly flat belly, sip at his cold glass of water, and watch television.

He felt... he _could_ feel and that was something to care about.

* * *

The door bell rang and Duo jumped up from the couch. Rubbing his hands together he turned toward his new friend about to say something witty about pizza and or pie when he caught the look of complete contentment on Heero's face as he unconsciously rubbed his belly.

A gentle smile spread over Duo's mouth and he decided to forgo the droll commentary for simply opening the door and tipping the pimpled pizza boy.

"Come on Heero!" Duo raised his voice to be heard over the sounds of the television. "Pizza's finally here!"

The television was shut off without ceremony and the messy haired man walked into the kitchen with a look of utter and complete hunger dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Suppressing the urge to chuckle, Duo spread the boxes out side by side and popped the first one open. Wrinkling his nose in slight disgust, he pushed it toward Heero. "That's yours buddy."

Heero almost lunged at the pizza and began to devour the first slice before Duo had so much as sat down in his seat. "You must have been seriously hungry." Duo eyed his guest with trepidation.

Not bothering to grace that comment with more than a grunt, Heero continued to eat his pineapple, mushroom, artichoke, caper, pepperoni, and bacon pizza. It seemed as though he hadn't eaten anything quite as delicious as this in his life.

He had been having cravings for quite sometime, but for fear of his secret being exposed had ignored them in favor of whatever he had fixed for Duo to eat. Simple giving into his tummy's strange desires made him feel lightheaded and unexplainably happy.

Munching into his first slice versus Heero's third, Duo studied his friend. "You're very brave, Heero."

The ravenous eating slowed to a stop as Heero lifted his head to regard the other man with disbelieving eyes.

"No, truly." Duo insisted. "I can't imagine being in... _that_ position. Being frightened for your life and still being strong enough to escape to save your baby's." Blushing slightly, he confessed, "I admire you for that."

The messy haired man stayed silent throughout Duo's whole explanation, but now felt foreign warmth creeping into his chest. Even with all the comfort and welcome he had experience in these short weeks of staying with Duo he had never heard anyone say that they... _admired_ him.

It left him confused by the warring emotions inside him.

Turning his gaze back down to his own half eaten slice of pizza, Duo continued, "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that." The two finished eating in silence.

* * *

It wasn't too late when Heero retired to his bedroom feeling utterly drained from the past two day's excitement. His teeth were brushed, his body showered, a fresh glass of water had been forced upon him, and he had changed into his new pair of flannel pajama pants that Duo had bought him.

He climbed gracefully into his comfortable bed snuggled up to the fluffy pillow just before sleep over powered him and was suddenly in a place entirely different.

_The air conditioning was always set on 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It kicked on every thirty minutes to replenish its chill throughout the Up Town condominium. It was ruthless in its accuracy and punctuality. _

_The sound of broken glass being swept up from grey sleight tiles echoed off the stark white walls of the minimalistic condo. It was an accident. The glass had been balancing precariously for days now and it was only a matter of time before it was knocked over. Odin just wished it hadn't been him who had knocked it. _

_Hissing softly, Odin stuck the injured finger into his mouth and tasted the copper metallic taste of blood. Scowling down at the offending piece of red and black blown glass, Odin felt only mocked by its innocents as it continued to lay jaggedly sharp and contrasting perfectly against the grey flooring. It had been the only thing of color in the living room and now it was scattered over the floor. _

_A jingling on the outside of the front door signaled Elliot Palmer's return home. _

_Jumping in surprise, Odin's heart began to pound in fear. He hadn't finished! He hadn't had time! It had been one of Elliot's favorites!_

_The door opened with aching slowness, but Odin had long since fallen to his knees and was ignoring the slices to his hands as he abandoned the broom and began to scoop up the glass with his bare hands in his haste. It was going to be bad enough that the vase had broken, but it was now going to be so much worse since he hadn't cleaned it up before Elliot had arrived home. _

"_Odin, my dear." That chillingly perfect voice echoed off the walls and made Odin flinch, as if he had been struck. "Odin, where are you?" It was growing in annoyance. Odin had always greeted him at the door, but it seemed that today was the exception._

_Designer leather dress shoes clicked threateningly over the tile flooring as Elliot made his way toward the sound of scraping glass. _

_Odin was shaking so badly now that he couldn't possible make it in time. Time was already up; perhaps if he got it cleaned up fast enough he wouldn't be too mad. _

"_What are you doing?" Odin stilled. It was over. He was far too late. _

_Slowly lifting his head, Odin let his dead blue eyes search Elliot's face for any sign of mercy, but he found none. _

_Elliot's ice blue eyes were hard as steel. His perfect blond hair was just long enough to fall into his face and he tossed it back in utter annoyance. He was tall and slim, with hands that were smooth and prefect. They were strong and merciless as well. They hurt. This Odin knew. _

_Averting his eyes, Odin stammered, "I-I'm-"_

"_I asked what you were doing." He didn't raise his voice. No, he never yelled. Elliot preferred to let the pain do all the yelling for him. _

"_I was cleaning the vase up, Elliot." Odin never let his eyes off of the floor in front of his crouched form. He couldn't afford to right then. _

"_You were trying to hide it from me." _

"_No! I-"_

"_Shut up!" Odin was thrown backwards onto the pile of broken glass as Elliot's foot connected with his face. Gasping sharply, Odin tried not to cry out as the red and black shards clawed at his back and shoulder. _

"_Elliot, I'm sorry!" Before he had come to live in this lavish, cold, white prison Odin would have never begged. But that was before._

"_This is how you repay my kindness?" Elliot lifted his right hand and back handed Odin across the face. "You break my belongings. You bleed on my floor. You lie to me to my face." He dug a hand into Odin's messy chocolate hair and yanked on it hard enough to crack Odin's neck. _

"_No! Elliot, please! I didn't mean-" _

"_Silence!" He never had to raise his voice. His manicured articulation and accent did that for him. "I will not have a thing as worthless as you insulting me."_

_Odin tried so hard. He tried to keep the tears from pouring down his face every time this happened, but he never seemed to prevail. Often times he managed to keep the sobs and whimpers of fright and despair silent, but when the hard heel of a designer shoe impacted with his left cheek then continued to rain down blows upon his whole body the sounds of his tears just couldn't be quieted. _

"_Why do you make me do this to you, my dear?" Elliot's voice was calm and never belayed the exertion of his arm coming down upon his victim as his hand gripped his right shoe with white knuckles. "How could you betray my love like this?" _

_The only response he was awarded with was the whimpers and desperate pleas for him to stop. _

_Elliot felt his groin hardening as more and more of Odin's ruby red blood was splattered over the white area rug beneath the crying boy's head. It sickened him how this made him feel. It sickened and excited him. _

"_Stop... please..." Odin's whimpers were growing quieter and quieter as the beating continued. The pain was fogging his mind and black spots had begun to encroach on his vision. But it was not a reprieve. Elliot never let him pass out. Elliot never let him escape. _

_The beating suddenly stopped. Odin whimpered, his disjointed thoughts registering that what was to come was infinitely worse than the pain of the sole of a shoe. _

_Odin was abruptly pushed onto his aching stomach and his spandex shorts that Elliot insisted be the only thing he wear were harshly yanked away from his aching body. Biting his tongue to keep from crying out, Odin felt the first blinding waves of pain as Elliot harshly thrust into him._

_He was never really prepared, but he had never been ripped as severely as he was this time. The gushing of blood was immediate and succeeded in causing a startled whimper to break from Odin's control. _

"_Ugh... You disgust me." Elliot never sounded winded or exerted. The waver in his voice was only with each violent thrust. _

_Odin had no choice but to clutch bleeding hands into the white throw rug and concentrate of the feeling of the rug burning into his cheek as Elliot's hand held his head down against the floor instead of the feeling of the blood seeping down the back of his legs and the excruciating pain threatening to rip him open. _

_Elliot's thrusts stopped abruptly as he came and Odin whimpered as the poisonous fluid made his torn passage scald in protest. _

_Retreating from the bloody form spread out on the sleight floor and bleeding onto his pristine white throw rug, Elliot sneered in disgust. He tugged on Odin's shirt and wiped the blood from him self letting the sullied cloth fall heavily back down onto his back. _

"_I want this cleaned up before I get back." There was no or else. What else could there be? _

_Odin let the tears flow down his cheeks and pool in the rug against his cheek just as the blood and semen was seeping from between his legs. The sound of Elliot's retreating footsteps, the slam of the front door closing, and the thud of it being locked from the outside were Odin's only reprieves. _

_Finally letting the sobs out of his bleeding mouth, the messy haired, blue eyed, broken body lying on the floor curled in on its self cringing at the aches and pains the action caused. Odin lay on the floor dripping tears and blood as he cried. _

_Why hasn't it ended yet?_

Bolting upright with sweat streaming down his body, Heero sobbed brokenly as he clutched with rigged hands at his chest. His chest ached, his body ached and he couldn't stop crying.

His muscular frame was shaking harder than seemed possible and his stomach was churning with unease. Thick chocolaty hair was plastered to his face with sweat and his heart hammered madly in his chest.

Trying to get him self to calm down, Heero reached over and clutched at the bedside lamp with one hand and his warming glass of water with the other. Light flooded the darkened room and the water cooler his throat giving a small amount of comfort to him.

He felt cold despite the warm comforter on the bed and he felt utterly alone. The walls in this room weren't a stark white, they were a creamy yellow, but that didn't help ease his fear that the dream hadn't been just a memory. He had the irrational fear that this room was just an illusion.

Before he knew what he was doing he had thrown the twisted and damp covers off of his body and had stumbled out of his room and down the hall toward the partially open door that housed the only being to ever show any caring for him at all.

Duo had been awakened by something he couldn't name, but it left him anxious. He was about to get out of his bed and check in on Heero when a shaking and shivering form appeared at his bedroom door.

"Heero?" Sitting up in his bed Duo looked at his friend with concerned eyes. "What's wrong?"

Heero didn't say anything. He couldn't bring himself to open his tightly clinched jaw, afraid his finally silence sobs would spill forth.

Slowly getting up from his bed's warmth, Duo went to his friend and placed comforting hands on his tense and quivering shoulders. "Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Heero whimpered and practically threw himself bodily into Duo. He wrapped his arms around Duo's waist so tightly the braided man had to suck in a breath.

He didn't need much help to guess what his friend had dreamed about, and Duo didn't dare ask. Wrapping his arms just as tightly around Heero's trembling frame he guided them toward his bed and guided Heero to lay down first before crawling in next to him and allowing the now openly crying man to curl around him.

"It's alright, Heero." Duo soothed as he stroked his back. "I'm here. It can't hurt you. It's just a dream."

Heero let a sob fall from his lips as he buried his face into Duo's strong bare shoulder. His body had lessened its shaking, but he still felt utterly cold. The sound of Duo's soothing voice and the feel of his strong calloused hands stroking over his tense muscles were chasing the frigidness away.

After what seemed like too much time, Heero was finally able to unclench his jaw and loosen his grip on Duo. "Duo, I-"

"Shhh." Duo interrupted. "Get some rest now, Heero. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere." He pressed a tender, warm kiss to Heero's damp temple then laid his cheek over the top of his messy hair and took deliberate deep calming breaths.

Sighing, Heero simply closed his eyes. He let Duo's deep rise and fall of his chest and the steady, heavy beat of his heart sooth him into floating just before unconsciousness. The feeling of Duo's strong hands bushing the hair away from his forehead and another kiss being placed lightly upon his skin were the last things Heero comprehended before he slipped into a blissfully blank sleep.

* * *

A/N: So sad! I love a good evil antagonist! They're so easy to hate! I hope ya'll enjoyed!

Answers to Chapter 03s **Trivia Challenge**:

**Doctor Robert**: "Dr. Robert" by _The Beatles_

**Detective Mariano**: "Mariano" by _Robert Earl Keen_

**Detective Brownstone**: "Mr. Brownstone" by _Guns-N-Roses_

8


	5. Appetite for Destruction

**A Stray New Life**

Warning: M-Preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

Chapter 05: Appetite for Destruction

* * *

Elliot Palmer II was an amazingly rich man. He owned a major corporation with enough income (after taxes) to support his whole family for three of four generations, depending on how many grandchildren he had, which his son and only heir would inherit upon his death. Elliot Palmer II was a good man, a fair man, a generous man, a kind man; and this perhaps, was his folly.

Elliot Palmer III was not like his father. He was none of what his great father was. He was the antithesis, perhaps, of that stately man he was named for. This, however, was kept as a secret very close to the Palmer family's heart.

Though Elliot Sr. was a good and kind man he was also ashamed. His son, the soul heir to his hand built corporation, his pride and joy, was not quite right.

It had become apparent that Elliot Jr. wasn't exactly what he seemed when the young boy had entered elementary school. He was violent and abrasive. His teachers reported him as seeking out joy in the pain and displeasure of his peers. Within the first couple of years of his formal education, Elliot was withdrawn from his private school and home schooled by a very well paid and confidentiality bound tutor.

He grew; and with growth and maturity learned how to hide his undesirable nature. His parents enrolled him in private high school, where he quickly became popular and befriended all the right people in all the right circles.

Elliot Sr. and his wife began to hope that their son's dark desires had been out grown and he would become a great man like his father.

And he was great. He accomplished many things and contributed a great deal to his father's company before and after his graduation from the most prestigious of Ivy Leagues. But despite his glowing credentials and his poster child good looks, a festering obsession with domination and a sickening taste for pain was ever present, though he learned to hide it well.

His father knew this, but because of his pride and the shame having such a son would bring upon his family, he kept it quiet. Indulged the lesser more benign of his son's whims and ignored all else that wasn't strictly perfect. This pride and general goodness of his heart was perhaps the worst and more harmful of Elliot Palmer II's qualities; he just didn't know it.

* * *

Elliot sat at his desk in his corner office and watched the city down bellow with ambivalent indifference. It seemed as though all the joys in life had been sucked out dissolved into the wind. He didn't enjoy the _simple_ things in life anymore; not since Odin had been taken from him.

"Mister Palmer?"

Turning his perfectly sculpted head toward the oil voice of his ever present driver, Elliot tossed his head to one side and studied the skinny man standing in his doorway.

"Have you found anything, Everett?" Elliot was anxious for news.

"No, Mister Palmer." The tall thin chauffer bowed his head in regret.

"How can that be?" Elliot's voice was quiet but held a twinge of menace. "It has been three weeks and Odin has yet to be found. I want him back, Everett. I want what is mine!"

The chauffer bowed his head lower as his employer's voice grew in annoyance and agitation. "I am sorry, Sir. He seems to have simply vanished."

"Well un-vanish him." He was growing impatient. His dearest, his joy, his treasure, was gone without a trace and he wanted it back. "How can it be that you have been searching for three weeks and all you have to show for it are discarded clothes stuffed in a dumpster outside of my home?"

"I apologize for my incompetence, Sir. I assure you that I will find Odin." Everett's voice oozed from his lips like puss from an infection. He gazed at his employer with a look of longing and loyalty. Elliot was never to be disappointed.

Leaning back into his chair once more Elliot turned his gaze toward the wall of windows and stared blankly out of them. "Do you know why I prize my Odin like I do?"

"Sir?"

Tossing his golden locks away from his eyes, Elliot never took his gaze off of the skyscrapers jutting out of the city. "He is my joy." His hands fell to the arm rests and his fingers began to stroke the leather like a cloth of velvet.

"Everything about him lights my life. His smell is intoxicating." He inhaled deep as if he could pluck the scent out of the air. "His taste is addictive." Licking his lips unconsciously, he savored the feeling of excitement these thoughts brought. "The sound of his whimpers and screams are like music drifting on the breeze."

Turning back toward his man, Elliot's cheeks were flushed and his eye had grown dark. "That pleading voice makes me feel alive, Everett. The feel of his shivering body and the color of his blood are works of art in this grey and dismal world."

Delicately, Elliot smoothed a hand down his tie and straightened his posture in his chair. He ignored his thudding heart and his elevated respiration. "I need that art back, Everett. Find Odin and return what is rightfully mine."

Everett bowed, his greasy hair falling about his ears to shade the sudden light in his blank eyes. "Of course, Sir. I will find him."

After the door had closed behind his driver, Elliot leaned for forehead against the glass window and inhaled deeply through his nose. He could almost smell it; smell the fear.

"Come back to me, my dear. I miss you greatly."

* * *

Heero began to stir as the light from the window behind him illuminated the room. Fighting the necessity to wake he pressed his face further into the solid warmth under his cheek and inhaled the comforting smell of sawdust, citrus, and sleep.

His eyes popped open as the memories from last night rushed back to him. Body going rigid in momentary fear, Heero stilled his breathing and stayed completely still. The warm body underneath him continued its even steady breathing and he slowly began to uncurl.

Slowly, cautiously, he inched his head up and gazed at the peacefully sleeping face of his friend. The warmth began to chase the fear away once more and he settled his head back down onto Duo's shoulder before his movements could wake the braided carpenter.

His extra caution came a moment too late as Duo's brow scrunched in a slight frown and his eyes began to blink till they adjusted to the sudden influx of light.

Glancing down at the suddenly frightened eyes in front of him, Duo gave a reassuring smile and whispered in a sleepy voice, "Good morning."

It seemed as though those two simple words worked wonders as Heero began to uncurl from his stiff defensive position. "I'm sorry. I should let you get some more sleep."

Heero tried to retreat from their comfortably tangled mess of limbs when Duo's arms suddenly tightened around him making it near impossible to disengage.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Duo asked once Heero stopped struggling to escape and had finally resigned himself to whatever was to come.

"No." He didn't want to talk about _it_. He wanted to forget it happened, though he knew he never would be able to. The life growing inside of him was the product of that terrifying scene and for that he was thankful even if the memories continued to haunt him.

Raising a hand slowly, Duo stroked the thick bangs out of clouded deep blue eyes. "Sometimes it helps to talk about it, Heero."

Sighing Heero blinked a few times to chase away the lingering tears threatening to come to the surface again. "I know. You've done so much for me already; I can't ask you to be burdened with my problems."

"Heero." Duo chuckled wryly as his spare hand feathered a touch over Heero's slightly swelling stomach. "I think I'm already knee deep into your problems. We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other." He stared into Heero's suddenly sorrowful eyes. "Let me help you."

That fleeting touch of Duo's warm callused hand over the sensitive skin of his belly sent a flood of warmth through his body. It sparked a sudden yearning he had never thought possible.

Sighing again, Heero cast his eyes down. "I… I dreamed of the night I got pregnant." Despite the warmth radiating in Duo's arms and the comforting nearness of the braided carpenter, Heero began to shiver and curl in on him self.

Clutching tighter to the frightened runaway, Duo pulled him as close to his chest as he could and began to rub his back as Heero's tears reemerged. He didn't know what to say. It was a given that Heero's conception hadn't exactly been romantic of enjoyable, but he hadn't imagined it would be the stuff of nightmares.

He had only known Heero for a very short three weeks but he was already apparent that he was a very strong man. Not much could scare him and he was very capable for taking care of himself. To think that a dream of a memory could frighten his strong beautiful friend as if he were a child was not pleasant. Duo found himself vowing that he would kill the bastard that had done this to Heero.

Duo didn't know what to say to console the distraught man in his arms so he simple laid there and held him till his shaking stopped and his tears had ceased to flow.

Pulling away from the chocolate head buried in his chest, Duo gave Heero a soft smile. "Feel better?"

It was harder to hold everything in and let it fester and tear away at your soul. Heero felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He hadn't gone into detail about his dream, but simple telling someone of its existence and not having to hide his demons was a relief. "Yeah. I feel a little better."

Beaming Duo proclaimed, "Good! Today we need to start you on your vitamins and get you some warmer clothes. It's going to get cold soon and we can't have you catching a chill. Not good for the baby. Then we're stalking up on juices, and vegetables, and meat! Lot's of meat."

Heero listened to Duo ramble and he felt as if his head was going to spin off. Strangely enough it was a comforting feeling. For the first time in his life, he realized, someone was going to take care of him. Someone actually cared about his welfare. It left a warm fire burning in his chest and a flutter in his belly. This was a feeling he found himself hoping he felt more often.

* * *

Duo stepped onto the construction site well after his shift had started and was immediately confronted by a spitting hissing Irish woman with fiery red hair, a flannel shirt, and work boots.

"Maxwell! How many goddamned times do I have to tell you to be on time, goddamn it!"

Duo halted in his attempt to sneak by her and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Don't give me that look Duo! I've known you since you were gumming your teeth on hammers. You can't get out of this with your droopy eyes!" Helen spat on the muddy ground, her voice going hoarse from yelling over the various construction sounds in the background.

"Helen, I can explain-"

"Like hell you can! You missed work yesterday Duo! I didn't give you this job so you could slack off!"

"You gave me this job because I'm damned good at it! Now, if you would just shut up for a second and let me explain!" Duo rarely lost his temper with Helen Thornton but when he did, they were liable to go toe to toe and throw a few punches before they wound up laughing with each other in a bloody mess. She practically raised him, after all.

Being faced with the sudden angry glint in the cheery young man's eyes, Helen backed down and took a closer look at him.

Duo had shadows under eyes and his hair was messier in its normally perfect braid. He seemed pale and just bellow the surface the older Irish woman could see the scars of worry upon his young face.

"Duo," She took a step forward and placed a gentle calloused hand on his cheek. "What on earth have you been up to?"

"Not out here, Helen. Let's go into the trailer, ok?" He could suddenly feel the strain of the last couple days and inherently the last few weeks piled upon his shoulders.

"Alright, Ducky. Let's get you some coffee and then I think you have some explaining to do." Duo gave her a small smile. She almost never called him Ducky. That was when you could tell she was really worried. Her long since buried Irish accent began to surface and she started calling him her little pet names. It left warmth in his chest you could only get from a maternal source.

Helen lead her boy into the trailer that served as their office at the far end of the site and sat him down in a folding chair thrusting a cup of strong black coffee into his hands. "Let's have it, Ducky. What kind of mischief have you gotten yourself into?"

That brought a small tired chuckle from Duo's lips but it died almost immediately. "Auntie Helen, I just don't know what to do."

"What, love? Is something wrong? Are you in trouble?" She knew something serious had to have happened when he started calling her Auntie.

"Nah; nothing like that." He took a sip of coffee and prepared himself. "I was walking home from the buss stop after our last job, you know the Henderson contract."

Helen nodded and urged him to continue. "I walked passed this alleyway and these two ugly sons a' bitches-"

"Watch your mouth, Ducky."

"Were beating up this guy." Duo ignored her and went on. "I stopped them before they could finish what they'd started, thank God." Helen got the hint and gritted her teeth in disgust. "The guy needed a place to stay so I told him he could crash at my place in exchange for doing the regular household chores."

"Duo, you are too trusting." Helen had admonished him on this more than once. You'd think a kid who grew up on the streets would be more wary. Then again, it was his past on the streets that taught him to read his fellow humans so well.

He glared at her. "_Anyway_, he's been staying in my guest bedroom for the last three weeks. I didn't ask where he was from or why he was running away. I figured if he wanted to tell me he would. All I knew was that he was running from something bad. He was pretty beat up when I had met him, but the majority of his injuries were old and in different stages of healing."

Helen frowned. "Was he running away from his old man slapping him around?" She never condoned hitting a child until they were old enough, wise enough, and stupid enough to hit first. Even then abusing an innocent was deplorable.

Duo shook his head and stared into the swirling black liquid in the chipped diner cup warming his hands. "Domestic abuse; he isn't a teenager. He's an adult, maybe twenty-two or three."

Lifting his head he looked into his adopted aunt's sad hazel eyes. "The other day I walk into my apartment to find him passed out and bleeding on my kitchen floor from a gash on the side of his head."

"Oh my lord!" Helen gasped and put a hand to her mouth in a very un-Helen like gesture.

Duo nodded. "He got into a scuffle with the kitchen table and lost." His poor attempt at humor died as the images and memory came flooding back. His aunt couldn't possibly imagine what was going through his head when he saw his beautiful stranger splayed out on his floor like that. Not moving, barely breathing. It was an image that would haunt his dreams for sometime.

"That's not even the half of it." He sighed. "After waiting for hours in the Emergency Room this doctor and these cops start giving me the third degree trying to determine if I was that one who abused Heero!"

That was the first time Duo had put a name to his mystery guest and Helen could see how upset her nephew was over having been accused of such a heinous crime.

"It was only after I had convinced them that I wasn't the one that had done that to him did I find out he was pregnant."

Helen's understanding and comprehension of the story up until then and ground to a startling halt. "Wait a minute, Duo Maxwell. You got a complete stranger pregnant?!"

"Jesus Christ! Of course I didn't!" Duo shouted at his suddenly incensed Aunt.

"But you just told me-"

"Heero is nine weeks pregnant." Duo broke in, his voice sounded even more tired and a little bit unbelieving himself. "He passed out from a dizzy spell and dehydration. He wasn't drinking enough liquids to sustain himself and his baby."

Helen sat back in her folding chair and Duo leaned forward to brace his forearms on his knees in his. It would seem that Duo cared more about this mystery runaway than was wise. That Irish woman smiled to herself. Since when had Duo let what was wise control what he thought was the right thing to do?

"I'm sorry I accused you of that, Duo. I should have remembered who I was talking to."

"Yeah, you should have." Duo looked up from the cracked trailer flooring and gave her a smile.

Helen, on one of her rare motherly whims, reached over and clasped a hand around his wrist in a comforting gesture. "Is your Runaway alright? Is the baby alright?"

Snorting at Heero's new title, Duo smiled again. "Heero's fine. The good doc prescribed him some prenatal vitamins and lots of bed rest for the rest of the week. He also said the baby is perfectly fine, if a bit stressed from the dehydration."

Helen felt her chest loosen in relief. Even if she didn't know this young man that had blasted his way into her nephew's life, she still had hoped he and his baby were healthy. This news of his baby also shed new light on Heero's circumstances for her.

"He ran away to save his baby. Didn't he?" Duo nodded and had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. "That brave soul." Helen had just developed the first spark of respect for this Heero, but that didn't mean she had to like him.

"He is brave. So very brave and scared." That memory of his pale sweaty face with tears streaming down his cheeks wrapped a band around Duo's throat. "It must have been horrible. Last night he woke up from a nightmare and I spent a great deal of time trying to calm him down enough for him to get some rest."

Helen studied her nephew with an omniscient eye. "Duo, how much do you care for him?"

Duo's head shot up from its low hung position and he looked at her with wide eyes. Then seeing the truth reflected in the eyes that he knew would never lead him astray confirmed, "I care very much for him. I want to help him. He's so scared Auntie, and so very alone. I… I want the absolute best for him and his baby."

Nodded her head in resignation and understanding, Helen stood up from her seat. "I thought so." She turned around and hauled him up by his elbow. "Come on Ducky; let's go fill Howard in on your new roommate then you need to get back to work. Can't have you going soft on us now can we?"

Duo chuckled in relief and thankfulness. "No we can't, Helen." He could always count on her to know exactly what he needed. And at that moment he needed some alone time with nothing but his roughened wood, his sharpened tools, and his mind to work out what exactly he had gotten himself into.

* * *

A/N: **Trivia Challenge**: If any one can tell me which classic John Wayne movie I got Helen's last name, _Thornton_, from I'll give you a piece of cyber pie!

7


	6. Teenage Dirt Bag

**A Stray New Life**

Warning: M-Preg, past NCS, angst, hurt/comfort, violence

**Chapter 06:Teenage Dirt Bag**

* * *

Heero had grown quite familiar with the merchants at the market place down the street from Duo's apartment in the six weeks he had been living with his new friend. It was strange to him that the friendly and often times over enthusiastic cart owners knew almost every customer by name and more often than not knew exactly what they had stopped by to pick up.

The first time Mary, one such cart owner, smiled sweetly at him and handed him four apples and two grape fruit before he even had a chance to look at the produce it sparked an unfounded feeling of fear.

Heero had survived in his parent's house by blending into the background and escaped censure in his schools through becoming one with the crowd. Heero had avoided sparking Elliot's temper more times than he cared to recall by gliding silently, undetectably through his condo. That more than anything dredged up old fears and anxiety.

The more recognizable you are, the more chances for failure and punishment.

Ever since that first nerve racking trip to the market, Heero had become comfortable with the environment of the familiar commerce. Friendly cart owners and fellow patrons no longer sent his warning alarms blaring. Polite inquiries and familiar patterns of conversation didn't cause him to lock up and retreat into himself for protection. He was far from a chatty busy body like Mrs. Bouquet, but he was no longer the dark raincloud floating between carts.

He blended in with friendly greetings and polite inquiries. There was something to be said for friendly conversation and a simple common bond formed between a buyer and seller. Heero found that he liked going to the market.

He liked haggling over the price for steaks and fresh seafood. He liked smiling at Mary and knowing that she only gave him the best most beautiful grapefruits because he reminded her of her grandson that lived on the other side of the continent. He liked stepping under the awning on the building side of the street and sharing a mutual gripe with Jasper, the market's resident homeless patron, over the suddenness of rainstorms in the summer time.

All these people formed a palpable bond that Heero thought would keep outsiders from interfering. But when the cart owners learned that he was living with Duo Maxwell, the darling boy at the end of the block, they opened their close knit community to include him with no ceremony or fuss. They simply smiled and welcomed him.

Smiling softly to himself Heero walked briskly toward the market, Duo's market bag clutched firmly in his hand. He liked going to the market. Strangely enough it felt kind of like being greeting by a family. Not that he knew any of the cart owners or fellow patron's well enough to call them family, but the greetings he received from them were a hell of a lot warmer than anything he got from his parents.

"Heero! Hello!" Mary thrust her arm into the air and waved with all her might. "How are you doing darling?"

"Very well, thank you." Heero tilted his head shyly and smiled at the enthusiastic older woman.

"How's the baby? I hope you're eating enough veggies. New mommies can never eat enough veggies, dear. Go on over to Earnest when you've finished and tell him you want some fresh spinach. That's what I ate while I was pregnant with my youngest. Now that was biggest darned baby I ever gave birth to."

Chuckling Heero nodded. "Thank you for the advice, Mary. I do want to make sure my baby is healthy." Heero's secret hadn't stayed a secret very long.

Well, of course it wouldn't have stayed a secret after Duo had gone to every cart owner after Heero's first weekly check up and showed everyone and anyone the sonogram pictures of Heero's baby.

A warm flutter twitched through Heero's stomach as he remembered the visit to Dr. Robert after his accident. Duo had seemed more worried than he had.

* * *

Duo sat with his hands stuffed underneath his thighs and his feet bouncing up and down with a nervous twitch. He had never felt more agitated in his life.

Heero sat on the examination table with a paper gown on, his head was cast down toward the floor and his hands were folded neatly in his lap. It seemed as though nothing could phase him, but on the inside his stomach was rolling and he was fighting the need to grab the small trash can and throw up the whole big breakfast Duo had forced on him that morning.

After Heero had been released from the hospital when he'd passed out, Dr. Robert had asked him to come in the next week for a regular examination. He had never gone to a doctor during his pregnancy and he was severely nervous about what the doctor might find.

Perhaps there was something wrong the baby. Maybe there truly was damage done to it when Heero had fallen to the kitchen floor. Could there be a possibility that his baby wasn't at all healthy and there was something horrible wrong with it? The "what ifs" were enough to make Heero wish he could just curl up into a ball and cry.

But he wouldn't let himself do that. He wouldn't let himself show such a weakness in front of Duo after all he had done for him. He owed it to Duo, _and to my baby_, to be strong.

The door to the examination room opened and Dr Robert stepped in with his eyes focused on Heero's medical chart. Closing the door behind him the doctor waited until he was seated before lifting his eyes and examining the two nervous men before him. He had to fight not to smile when he noticed that Mr. Maxwell had not only accompanied Mr. Yuy, but seemed to be even more nervous than his expectant patient.

"Good morning gentlemen."

Both young men returned the greeting before relapsing into nerve racking silence.

Suppressing a chuckle, Dr. Robert clapped his hands together. "Well, shall we get started?" He glanced at Duo. "If you would like to wait out in the lobby I can send-"

"No!" Robert and Duo looked at Heero in surprise. He blushed and turned his face back down to stare at his hands in his lap.

"I-…I mean, no. Duo can stay." He voice lowered even more, but Duo and Robert still heard him. "I want you to stay."

"Alright." Duo felt stunned, but didn't hesitate to give his frightened friend a small smile. "I'll stay if you want me to."

Heero nodded, but didn't say anything more.

Dr. Robert smiled to himself. "Well in that case, shall we continue?"

The exam went rather smoothly. At least that's what Dr. Robert thought.

Heero was experiencing the normal amounts of tenderness in the breast area without the growth of tissue often experienced by men in the early stages of pregnancy. His eating habits were exceptional, he'd started on the prenatal vitamins, and been drinking plenty of water. Judging by Duo's determined nod while he voiced his observations, Dr. Robert could tell that he had been instrumental in making sure Heero followed his orders.

Continuing on with the exam, Dr. Robert poked and prodded around on the poor man's abdomen and, thankfully, found nothing amiss. The real interesting part of the examination came when the doctor pulled out the sonogram and began to project the image of the ten week old fetus on the monitor.

Heero's breath caught in his chest and his heart fluttered. "Is that…?"

"Yes, that's your baby, Mr. Yuy. And he seems to be progressing along quite nicely."

Heero couldn't tear his eyes away from the image on the monitor. "You can tell it's a boy?" It was amazing. Amidst nondescript black and white swirls, Heero could see his baby. Its head was bigger than its body and it had a little tail, but it was his baby and was simply the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Not at this stage, no. We won't be able to distinguish sex for awhile yet."

Duo couldn't keep his eyes from flicking between the amazing image on the screen and the beautiful expression on Heero's face. He seemed to glow with an inner beauty, his eyes locked onto the picture of the being he loved most in the entire world. Duo thought he was breathtaking.

"How big is it?" Duo squinted at the screen and leaned closer to Heero to get a better look.

"About an inch and a half long, four grams heavy." Dr. Robert lifted a hand to the mouse and clicked a few things and highlighted a few aspects on the screen. "At this point all of the extra weight you are experiencing is mostly embryonic fluid and a build up of protective tissues."

A sudden giggle burst from Heero's lips surprising the doctor and Duo. "I'm sorry." Heero smiled, a tear suddenly glided down his cheek. "It's just that's really my baby."

He covered his mouth with a hand and gave a strangled sob. "My beautiful baby."

Neither young man noticed when Robert mumbled something about making a print out of the picture before hastily exiting the examination room.

Duo watched transfixed as tears began to steadily stream down Heero's face. "Heero?" Reaching over and placing a hand on the crying man's shoulder Duo asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Came out watery and garbled past the tears. "I'm just… I'm actually… going to have a baby."

Heero lifted his head and looked into Duo's kind violet eyes. A shiver ran through his body. "I'm scared, Duo."

With that sudden admittance Duo abandoned his seat and took the space next to Heero on the examination table facing him. Wrapping his arms around Heero's shoulders Duo pulled him into a comforting embrace. "It'll be alright, Heero. I know I keep saying that, but it's true!"

Heero's hands clutched at the front of Duo's shirt. Burying his face into the other man's flannel shirt the smell of sawdust and Duo surrounded him, comforted him. "What if I'm a horrible mother?" His heart ached.

"No!" Duo rubbed his back comfortingly. "You won't be. I just know it. Besides, I'll be there to help you."

That surprised Heero. He knew that Duo wanted to help him through his pregnancy but he didn't know that Duo had planned to even allow him to live with him after the baby was born.

"You'll help me?" Heero looked up into Duo's eyes, his voice hoarse and disbelieving.

"Well, yeah." A blush crept up Duo's neck. "Your baby's going to need a father figure right? I mean not that you're not a father figure er… you know, you're gonna be its mother, so…"

"Baka." Heero let Duo see his smile before he gave the flustered carpenter a slight squeeze and pulled away to wipe his tears.

Duo didn't know what exactly that meant, but he took it for a good sign since Heero had smiled at him while saying it.

He, despite what he had told Heero, was scared shitless. He had never had a father. The closest thing he could think of was Howard his foreman. And well, Howard wasn't exactly the best role model out there, but he was a good man.

Duo nodded to himself. Yep, he was definitely going to have to talk to Howard about this father business. He didn't want to mess up Heero's baby and he wanted to be the best father.

God! That was a scary thought. He never thought he was going to be a father. Never knew he even wanted to be a father. A nauseous churning twisted his gut.

Looking at Heero who had turned his gaze back to the monitor and continued studying every aspect of the image it projected, Duo saw his gently smile. Suddenly the churning went away and the frantic, frightened beating of his heart slowed.

He could do this. For Heero, he could be a father even if the child wasn't his. He realized that he would do just about anything for the beautiful stranger sharing his apartment, for Heero.

"Thank you." Heero's voice broke Duo out of his thoughts.

Turing his attention away from the monitor and the picture of his precious baby, Heero gave his friend a smile. "Thank you, for everything."

Duo was about to respond when the doctor stepped back into the room with a set of pictures and began to explain the baby's development thus far.

Heero smiled to himself as he placed a comforting hand on his just beginning to round belly. Everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Picking up an orange, Heero felt for tender spots before smelling its citrus scent and placing it in the thin plastic bag he had gotten from Mary.

"Now it's also good to eat lots of fruits too, you know dear. One can never be too healthy when there's a baby on the way." Mary continued to chatter while Heero picked some fruit and only halted in her monologue to ring him up and place a bright red motherly kiss on his cheek.

"Be sure to come back in a few days and I'll give you the pick of the tomatoes, dear." Mary called as Heero stepped away from her cart and headed on his way.

Going to Mary's cart had always left him feeling mothered and cherished. Now going to Earnest's cart had always made him feel like he had just had a well missed verbal sparing match with his grandfather, the only person from his childhood that had cared about him.

"Good afternoon, Earnest."

"No it ain't." Earnest grumbled from behind the fresh vegetables as he worked on gathering the parsley into bunches. "Damned unpleasant afternoon, that's what."

Smirking to himself, Heero asked, "Why's that, Earnest?"

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why!" Earnest scowled ferociously, with all his might, but was still unsuccessful at making the young man standing in front of his cart twitch.

"That woman!" The grumpy cart owner gestured toward Mary's cart. "That woman's been screeching her head off all damned day! And she's been eyeing my spot as of late. Well I'll tell you me! She ain't going to get her fruit squeezing mitts on my spot no sirie!"

Suppressing the laugh bubbling up his throat, Heero asked, "Why do you think she's going to try and steal your spot?"

Earnest picked out a cucumber and some lemons for his customer. "She's been looking over here and _smiling_."

A laugh did escape Heero then as he took the vegetables and gave Earnest the money. "I do believe she has been eyeing _something_." It had been quite a few years since Mary's husband had died and the woman had developed quite the crush in the surly vegetable cart owner.

Earnest glared at the chuckling young man. "You think it's funny, do ya?"

Clamping down on his laughter, Heero shook his head. "Uh, no sir." Earnest looked him over and grumbled at the young man's obvious insincerity.

Scowl firmly in place Earnest reached underneath the counter and pulled out a batch of fresh green spinach and thrust it toward Heero. "Here boy. That woman does have some sense in that head of hers. You need to be taking extra care of yourself and your baby."

Heero blushed. "But Earnest, I only brought along enough to pay for what was on my list."

Shaking his head the older man placed the spinach in Heero's bag himself before the younger man could stop him. "Nonsense. It's on the house today. Besides," He smiled at the blushing young man, "Duo would have my hide if I didn't make sure you had all the right vegetables."

That pried a laugh from Heero and he finally left Earnest's cart with a few extra vegetables than he planned and a friendly pat on the back.

Sometimes, times like this, Earnest reminded Heero so much of his grandfather that he had to swallow to relieve the tightening in his throat. He missed his grandfather something fierce.

His grandfather's death had been the last straw for Heero and had finally pushed him to leave his parent's house and get away from that life.

Heero and his grandfather had always been close. The old man had been tough on him but kind and offered comfort and human interaction when Heero's solitude became too much for the young child to bear.

He had never approved of his daughter's choice to treat her son like a fly on the wall more than a member of the family, but he was just her senile old father and couldn't do more than talk at her. Having failed so deplorably in raising a kind, affectionate daughter, he made up for his mistake by spending every moment possible with his grandson.

Heero cherished his grandfather with all his heart and had never felt so lost and afraid than the morning he raced to his grandfather's room to tell him the news of being accepted into University only to find him still and cold in his favorite recliner, his cup of tea spilled over the rug.

Waiting until after the funeral had been the hardest thing Heero had ever had to do. Holding onto his tears while he watched them lower the only person in the world to care about him into the hard unforgiving ground had broken his heart into a thousand pieces.

He had left after they had begun to cover the casket in dirt. He snuck out and hopped onto the first buss into the center of the city and had never looked back.

Shaking himself from his memories, Heero quickly wiped away the tear that had escaped his hold. "Damn hormones!" He cursed under his breath. He had never cried so much in his life than he had since he got pregnant.

Suddenly the sounds of a scuffle caught his attention. Walking a few more steps to glance down an alleyway Heero was jolted by the sight he was met with.

Alfred, the pimpled pizza boy, was being pushed against the brick wall and punched by three much taller and bigger high school boys.

"Come on dweeb! Give us your money!" Dumbass-number-one balled up his fist and delivered a punch to the pizza boy's scrawny shoulder.

"Seriously guys, stop!" Alfred struggled to squeeze past the other two but was unsuccessful and got slammed back against the wall for his efforts. "I don't have anything on me!"

"What? You can't give your buds here a little lunch money?" Dumbass-number-one sneered and shoved a hand into Alfred's chest causing his head to ricochet off the brick.

Heero had seen just about enough. Placing his grocery bag down on the sidewalk he strode purposely over to the group, all three boys had their backs to the entrance of the alley way and didn't see him coming.

He tapped Dumbass-number-one on the shoulder and waited for the large bully to turn around.

"What do you want shrimp?" Yes, it was true that Heero was almost a head shorter than these idiots, but he was also trained in most of the martial arts known to man. His grandfather was a very thorough instructor.

"I want you to step away from Alfred and leave before I make you." Heero leveled his most deadly glare at the younger boy in front of him and readied himself for a physical altercation.

"Heero!" Alfred whispered urgently. "Please don't! You could hurt your baby."

Heero's glare turned from Dumbass and pierced a hole through Alfred. The pizza boy shrank against the brick wall and quickly averted his eyes to the ground.

The goons looked Heero up and down before suddenly breaking into fits of laughter.

"Pregnant bitch thinks he can beat us!" One of the bullies was trying to wheeze as he clutched his stomach in guffaws.

"I may be pregnant, but do not underestimate your opponent before you know his strengths. I can and will beat the crap out of you if you don't leave right now." He knew now that Alfred had shed light upon his weakness he was going to have to be extra careful to defend his baby, but he wasn't worried. These bozos relied on their brute strength and intimidation.

Dumbass straightened up and growled, "Now listen here, asshole, I don't want to have to hurt you, but I will."

He had begun to reach out a hand to push Heero away, but before he even registered his mistake the pain of a sprained wrist, a kneed diaphragm, and the vertigo of having his legs knocked out from under him caused him to lie gasping like a fish on the dirty alley ground.

The other two goons stood there stunned before roaring in rage and charging the shorter man.

Their bravery was short lived and they too were curled on the ground, nursing a broken nose and an aching groin before they knew what hit them.

Heero stood over them with a satisfied smile. He wiped his hands together as if to dust them off and turned toward a stunned, wide eyed Alfred. "Never show the enemy your weakness." Was all he said before he turned back around and went to retrieve his groceries.

Alfred took one last look at his tormentors before rushing after Heero, shouting for him to wait up.

Finally catching up to his savior on the street Alfred slowed to walk next to the short man. The two walked in silence for a ways before Alfred finally asked, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Heero paused briefly before continuing on. "My grandfather taught me."

"Cool." Alfred gave him a small smile.

"Why were they bothering you?" Heero glanced at the red headed boy from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, no reason really. They just… they've always picked on me; ever since elementary school." He shrugged.

"And you let them treat you that way?" Heero felt something in his chest constrict. Had he not let Elliot draw his blood? Had he not let Elliot force himself on him and treat him like a worthless insect?

"Well, yeah. They're a lot bigger than me." Alfred let out a mirthless chuckle.

Heero stopped and studied the red headed boy's slumped posture and morose expression. He decided not to let his boy become a floor mat like he had been.

"They may be bigger, Alfred. But you can always become smarter."

Alfred looked up skeptically at Heero. "How is that supposed to help me?"

Heero gave the boy a small smile. "Come on. Let's finish my shopping then you can come back to the apartment and I'll show you some things that my grandfather taught me."

Alfred perked up. "You mean teach me how to fight?"

Heero nodded. "Sure. You can stay for dinner as well."

The red headed boy gave Heero a huge bright smile before facing forward and whispering, "Cool."

Heero's stomach fluttered and he smiled to himself. He wouldn't let Alfred become a punching like he had. Nope, he wasn't going to let that happen.

*

A/N: This was one of the easiest chapters I have ever had to crank out. It literal just flowed off my fingers. I hope ya'll enjoyed it! Review and tell me what ya'll think!

**Trivia Challenge: **This one is a little harder than the last two, but it's worth a try!

The busy body and chit-chatty patron of the market is called _Mrs. Bouquet_. What is the name of the British comedy staring another such _Mrs. Bouquet_? **Clue**: "It's pronounced Bou_quet_, not Bu_cket_."

**Trivia Challenge Answer for Chapter 05: **John Wayne stared as Shawn Thornton in "The Quiet Man" opposite Maureen O'Hara and filmed in Ireland. One of _the_ best movies in the universe!


	7. Cat's in the Cradle

title: **A Stray New Life**  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 2x1x2  
warnings: past NCS, past abuse, violence, angst, hurt/comfort, m-preg  
rating: R, or NC17

summary: Heero is on the run for his life when he's saved by a beautiful and kind carpenter named Duo. Duo offers Heero a warm safe place in his home and inadvertently in his heart as well, but outside forces are conspiring to destroy Heero forever.

Chapter 07: Cat's in the Cradle

* * *

"Now, Alfred. Come at me like you're attacking." Heero instructed to the nervous and very doubtful teenager standing in Duo's living room.

Alfred scratched at the back of head. "I don't know Heero. I don't want to hurt you."

Straightening from his defensive position, Heero felt an amused smirk twist at his lips. "I promise I won't let you hurt me, Alfred." He highly doubted the red haired and freckle faced teen could do much damage regardless, but he was going to be extra careful; after all it wasn't just him anymore.

Dropping his hand, Alfred took a deep breath and tried not to get sick with nervousness. "Okay, as long as you promise."

Bending at the knees and spreading his legs in a defensive position Heero gave him a small reassuring smile. "I promise. You can't hurt me or the baby, Alfred. I won't let you."

"Okay." Alfred took another deep breath and fixed a slightly pitiful frown of concentration on his face before he rushed forward with both arms stretched out toward his "victim".

Knowing what was coming, Heero clasped Alfred's wrists tightly and twisted with just enough pressure to bring the young teen to his knees but not actually cause any damage.

With a squawk of surprise Alfred found himself on the carpeted floor whimpering as a slight twinge of pain throbbed in his forearms. "Owie…"

Hastily letting go, Heero quickly dropped down next to him. "I'm sorry Alfred! Are you alright?"

"Jeez, Heero. How did you do that?" Alfred grimaced in embarrassment as much as in pain while he sat back on his heels and rubbed at his wrists.

Sighing in relief Heero got to his feet and gave Alfred a hand before he explained. "First of all, you never attack an opponent like that. It is very easy to be disarmed that way."

"I kind of figured that part out." Alfred grumbled as he resumed his position in front of Heero awaiting his next instructions.

Watching the boy with amusement as he shored up his wounded pride, Heero resumed his defensive position. "Now try the same attack slower and I'll explain how I disarmed you."

Nodding, Alfred stuck his arms out again and moved forward slowly.

Heero grabbed Alfred's wrists from underneath. "Intercept the attack." He twisted them outward, "Immobilize." Then he flicked his wrists downward forcing Alfred's arms to bend at the elbow and causing him to take a knee on the carpet. "And incapacitate."

"Now that I can see what you did it doesn't seem that difficult." Alfred didn't feel the pain this time seeing as Heero moved slower and didn't put as much pressure on him as before.

Heero continued to hold his pupil in that position. "Once you have your attacker like this you can take him down with a knee to the face or a kick to the groin."

Alfred shuddered. "Isn't that like fighting dirty?" He struggled to his feet with Heero's help.

"No, they attacked you so it's up to you to protect yourself." Heero unconsciously brushed a hand across his barley visible swelling belly. "And you do that anyway you can."

Nodding his understanding, Alfred decided to learn everything he could from Heero. He wasn't going to let those bullies push him around anymore.

After what seemed like days to Alfred, both he and Heero were sweating with the exercise. "Heero!" Alfred found himself face down on the carpet as Heero flipped him over his shoulder when he attacked from behind. "Can't we rest for a little bit? I can't feel my face anymore!"

Shaking his head in feigned disappointment, Heero scolded, "My grandfather wouldn't let me stop training until I either threw up or collapsed. I don't see you doing either." He was exaggerating of course, but Alfred didn't need to know that.

Whimpering like a pitifully kicked puppy, Alfred struggled to his feet again. "You're the pregnant one! Don't you need to throw up? Or at least sit down?"

Heero was about to open his mouth and negate those remarks when the room suddenly spun and he found himself being lowered to the couch by a frantically questioning Alfred.

"Oh my God!" Alfred had barely managed to catch Heero before he collapsed to the floor and was huffing and puffing with the effort to help walk him to the couch. "Heero! Are you alright?" He began to wave his hands frantically in front of Heero's face to fan him off. "Shit! Duo's going to kill me! How many fingers am I holding up?"

If the room hadn't still been spinning Heero would have laughed at poor Alfred's panic. "Alfred," He said in a very calm voice. "You're not holding up any fingers."

Frowning confusedly at his still frantically fanning hands Alfred giggled embarrassedly. "Oh."

Reaching out and pulling Alfred down on the couch next to him with a show of impossibly amazing strength, Heero chuckled kindly at him. "Calm down. I'm not going to die. I just got a little dizzy. It's common for pregnant people to get dizzy."

"Oh." Alfred said again as he finally relaxed and folded his still shaking hands in his lap. "You kind of freaked me out, Heero."

"I know." Heero sighed and leaned his head back against the couch, resting one hand over his belly. "I'm sorry about that. I guess I didn't realize just how tired I was getting."

"It'd ok." Alfred sank deeper into the couch, his body felt numb from the intense workout and his legs probably wouldn't support him if he tried to stand again. "I didn't think being pregnant gave you so much energy."

"It doesn't." Heero lifted his head and gave the teen a small amused smile. "Normally I would be able to workout for another couple of hours before stopping for a break."

"Jeez! I'm glad you're pregnant then. I probably wouldn't be alive if you worked me like that." Sighing in relief, Alfred smiled back at him. "Did your grandfather really teach you all those moves?"

"Mm." He hummed turning his gaze down to his lap he stared at his hands covering where his baby was growing. "He taught me seven different kinds of martial arts, how to box, how to dance, a tiny bit of singing, and what he knew of yoga among other things."

"Whoa." Alfred's head was spinning. "He must have been really cool."

A wistful and tender smile spread over Heero's face. His grandfather had been marvelous; strict, hard, but absolutely wonderful. The pain of his absence flared up in Heero's heart. "I loved him very dearly."

Turning his head at the sound of Heero's slightly strained voice, Alfred saw the single tear that escaped Heero's eyes before he wiped it away. He didn't need to ask to know that Heero's grandfather had died. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder Alfred stayed silent, offering support as Heero gave a very uncharacteristic hiccup before he got himself under control again.

Whisking away the last of his few tears, Heero patted Alfred's hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. I haven't figure out how to handle all these hormones yet."

"It's alright." Alfred pulled his hand away and gave him a bright smile. "My mom's had three kids already and she still breaks down in tears when someone leaves the cap off the toothpaste."

That brought a small chuckle out of Heero before he shook his head and got to his feet. "It's time I started supper before Duo get's home. Do you want to help me or would you rather shower and get that sweat off of you?"

Heero fascinated Alfred and he was working his way up to a good solid hero worship, so for him the answer was easy. "Can I help you cook? My mom always says I might chop my fingers off or something."

Laughing again, Heero gave the teen a hand to help hoist his stiff and sore body out of the plushy sofa. "I'm sure we can find something for you do that doesn't involve amputation."

* * *

Duo yowled as he almost took his finger off with the table saw for the fifth time that day. Things just did not seem to be working in his favor.

His bus had been late that morning, when he got to the work site he realized he'd left his lunch on the public transport, and Helen had pulled him from the master bathroom on the second floor to fix the colossal mistake made on the kitchen cabinets by one of the other carpenters. It was almost shutting down time, and he still hadn't even begun to fix the problem, his belly was growling in hunger, a migraine was working in his temple, and he was now bleeding on the wooden cabinetry.

"Jesus, boy!" Howard jumped when he got a look at Duo in the kitchen as he went around telling people to shut down for the evening. "You damn neared sawed your finger off!" He grabbed Duo's hand and gingerly poked and prodded at the wound to make sure he didn't need to put anything on ice and call an ambulance.

"Thanks for that helpful observation, Howard." Duo whimpered as Howard agitated a particularly tender place on his index finger. "God, today just has not been my day."

"I'd say so, boy." Sighing in relief, Howard reached into his tool belt for the gauze rap he always kept on site and yanked the plastic off the roll. Unraveling it he started to wrap Duo's injured finger as tight as possible without completely cutting off the circulation. "If I had known you'd been having such a bad time I would have sent you home."

"Nah." Duo huffed in frustration. "It's alright. This week had been going so great I should have known it wouldn't last."

Howard raised an eyebrow at his honorary nephew. "What's on your mind, kid? I know there's more floating in there than geometry and wood staining fumes."

Shoulders slumping even further Duo took his hand back and examined the makeshift bandage. "Nothing much, Howie. Just the usual you know. Work, taxes, bills, babies."

"Babies?" Howard straightened in surprise than comprehension. "You been having problems with your troubled roommate?"

"No." Duo shook his head. "Heero's been wonderful. It's me that's been having problems. Howard I-…" Duo looked into his uncle's eyes with a mixture of fear and confusion. "I've got all these thoughts and feelings rolling around and I just can't seem to latch onto one and make it stick long enough to understand it."

"Boy, what are you talking about?" He had some idea, but Howard knew it would help Duo to put his jumbled thoughts into words.

"It's Heero!" Duo exclaimed in frustration. "Well, not really him, it's just that I want so much to take care of him and his baby and the other day we went to the obsi-obstan- doctor and got a picture of the kid on the screen and I just felt so… then I couldn't really… and I want so much to be someone for that baby."

Howard threw his head back and laughed a deep rumbling laugh that flustered his poor nephew even more. "Boy, you have got it so bad!"

"What?" Duo whined at a complete loss. "What's bad?"

Slapping his big work roughened hands on Duo's shoulders Howard gave him a warm almost fatherly smile. "You're smitten with the boy."

"No I'm n-" Duo cut himself off as his brows wrinkled almost painfully before they shot wide on his forehead and he slide forward to slam his head on the saw dust covered bench between his uncle and him. "Man!"

Patting Duo's head comfortingly, Howard soothed, "Now don't beat your self up about it, boy. Talk to old Uncle Howard."

"Howie!" Duo raised his head ignoring the wood dust sticking to his sweaty forehead. "I told him I wanted to be a father to his baby."

That shocked a couple more gray hairs into Howard's beard. "Did you now?"

"Yeah." Duo's face scrunched up. "Every time I look at him and he's got this small glowing smile on his face, I get this twinge, you know, right here." He pressed a hand to his chest. "And sometimes when he thinks I'm not in paying attention or he's thinking about something else entirely he rubs a hand over his belly and I get this flipping all in here." Duo rubbed a hand over his stomach as if he were in pain. "God! And every time I think about him being beaten on by that bastard I want to just-" He broke off and twisted his fists together as if wringing someone's neck.

Howard laughed again then patted a hand over Duo's to halt his violent gesture. "I get the picture boy." He smiled kindly at his red faced and confused nephew. "You want to protect him, care for him, be a father to his baby."

Duo sighed. "Yeah. And I'm scared shitless."

Nodding Howard rubbed at his beard. "Why don't you tell the boy that? I mean the part where you're two steps in love with him." He clarified when Duo was about to say he'd already done that.

Stopping with his mouth open, Duo stared at his uncle then closed his mouth and rubbed at his suddenly numb face. "I am, aren't I?"

Howard picked up a piece of twisted sawdust and twirled it between his fingers. "I'd say so."

Blowing out a breath Duo felt a sudden weight lift off his shoulders and a good portion of his uncatchable worries and thoughts dissolve. "That is quite the revelation."

"I'd say so." Howard smirked amusedly, tossing the wood twist to the floor. "What are you going to do about it?"

Duo responded without a thought. "Nothing." He shook his head. "I'm not going to do anything, Howard. He ran away from an abusive relationship he'd been stuck in for God knows how long. He's pregnant, unsure of his footing, and just getting used to human kindness. I can't just waltz into my apartment with a dozen roses and declare my love for him." Holy God, he thought, I'm in love with Heero. It sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

Leaning back on the carpenter's bench Howard scratched at his chin. "I didn't think of that."

Chuckling mirthlessly, Duo shook his head. "I can't tell him. He's got so much to think and worry about. I can only be there for him and help him through it all. Howard," he looked back at his uncle, "I really want to be a father to his baby. I feel almost as if it's really mine and not… _his_."

Howard whistled through his teeth. "That's quite the responsibility to take on, Duo. Do you really think you can do that? Be a father to another man's baby?"

"It's not that boyfriend beating fucker's baby." Duo spat, his lips curling in a snarl. "It's Heero's baby." His snarl eased and a tender light came to his eyes edged with frantic nervousness. "And Heero said he would like me to be a father to his baby as well."

Nodding in understand, Howard clapped his hands together and decided to move right on along. "And you're scared shitless."

"Fuck yes." Duo whimpered.

"Well, then!" Howard suddenly beamed at his paling nephew. "You've got plenty of time to learn the basics and no body really knows how to be a parent till the kid actually pops out kicking and screaming."

Duo placed a hand over his mouth, suddenly feeling like his stomach was going to heave. "Oh God."

"Whoa, kid!" Howard chuckled and patted him on the back comfortingly. "Don't worry so much. Me and your Aunt Helen will be there for you and Heero the whole way. You'll be fine."

"You think?" Duo asked earnestly as he swallowed down the bile and looked back at his uncle in undisguised hope.

"Yeah," Howard smiled kindly. "Of course I do. We raised you pretty good didn't we? You and Heero will be just fine. Now," he grinned eagerly, "show me those ultrasound pictures you were boasting about the other day. I never got a chance to snatch them from you."

Laughing Duo pulled out his wallet, feeling immeasurably less panicky now that he knew he had his uncle and aunt's support. "Here." He unfolded the glossy picture. "That's its head and that's its little body. We can't tell what the sex is yet, not for another week or so."

Howard grabbed it and ran his eyes over it like a little child in the window of a candy store. "Well. Will you look at that!" He laughed. "It's no bigger than a plum!"

"Mhm." Duo grinned proudly. "Heero's just barely showing. It's kind of amazing to be able to see where the little guy is in his belly."

"I'll bet." Howard flicked his eyes at his nephew with a knowing smirk before moving his gaze back to the picture to read the fetus's stats the doctor had printed off to the side.

_Ultrasound of Heero Yuy_

_Aprx weight: 1/3 ounces_

_Aprx length: 2 inches_

Pausing and leaning closer to the picture just to be sure he had read what he thought he'd read, Howard looked up at Duo and asked as nonchalantly as possible, "What's your boy's full name, kid?"

Duo leaned around Howard oblivious to the older man's sudden look of extreme concentration as he studied the picture for the hundredth time. "Heero Yuy. You know the kid's got a big head, but the doc says that's normal at this stage. All the kid's organs are supposed to be formed too but I don't know; I'm just amazed the kid looks semi-human. I heard that babies look like sea monkeys in the womb, but Heero's baby looks perfect."

Howard listened to Duo ramble on like any proud father he had ever met, but his mind was rotating and fermenting on something very peculiar. _Heero Yuy_. It seemed to Howard that he knew a Heero Yuy; a brilliant man with an intelligent mind and a howling good sense of humor.

It seemed to Howard that he remembered going to the man's funeral after he was found dead from a heart attack in his sitting room.

After complimenting Duo on the baby's loveliness and assuring him that its head will not be that large permanently, Howard continued to ponder on his little discovery.

Heero Yuy had been dead for about three years now and Howard remembered going to his funeral and spitting at his daughter's feet. Now that, Howard reflected, was a cold bitch. Didn't even cry at her own father's funeral.

The gossip mill had been flowing at the reception afterwards while he and Helen had been catching up with some old mutual friends of Heero Yuy's. It seemed that Heero had a grandson that was a continual disappointment to his parents. Though his daughter couldn't have cared less for the boy, or so Howard had gathered, it had been a scandalous thing that the boy had disappeared during the burial.

Needless to say, he and Helen had left early, not being able to stomach Heero Yuy's daughter for very much longer.

Quite the coincidence, Howard rubbed at his beard in thought. "Say, boy." Duo looked up at him from his own memorizing of the picture. "Why don't Helen and I come over for dinner some time and meet this runaway. If he's going to be the mother of your child, we should meet him shouldn't we?"

Something in the tone of Howard's voice was odd, but Duo shook his head and pushed that thought to the back of his mind. "Sure Howard. How about you both come over on Saturday?"

"Alright. That'll do." Howard gave him a bright smile to hide his contemplative frown. "You run on home now, boy, and make sure Heero's still kicking like I know you're itching to."

Chuckling at the accuracy of his uncle's statement, Duo stood up from his straddle on the work bench and snatched up his tools throwing them into their places on his tool belt and in the tool box he left on site. "Thanks for the talk, Howie. It helped a lot."

"Anytime, kid." Howard patted Duo on the shoulder as he dashed out of the half finished kitchen and toward the bus stop.

Watching to make sure he was out of sight and on his way ok, Howard pulled his phone from his tool belt and dialed Helen at the office trailer on site. She picked up after three rings barking into the receiver in annoyance.

"Calm down woman!" Howard scowled at the empty kitchen. "I know you were packing up I just wanted to tell you we were having dinner at Duo's on Saturday."

He listened for a moment to Helen's suddenly eager and questioning voice before replying. "Yeah I had a reason. Duo's runaway, I got a full name out of him." Helen's voice nearly split his ear drum and Howard had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Lower your voice and I'll tell you."

He waited a beat before giving into Helen's nagging. "Heero Yuy, Helen. The kid's name is Heero Yuy. Does that sound familiar?"

A muffled, "Are you shitting me?" made Howard chuckle, before he said, "That's what I just about asked him." Then he frowned again. "There's something not right Helen. I think we need to go and check this kid out. If everything is like I suspect there is a lot that we're not knowing about."

Helen agreed seriously. Howard nodded though he knew she couldn't see him. "Yep, see you tonight at home and I'll fill you in on the rest of my chat with Duo." They said their good byes and Howard snapped his phone shut. In his opinion, Saturday evening couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

Duo unlocked his apartment door to the sound of two separate voices in conversation and the smell of steak sizzling in on the stove top grill. Turning the corner, Duo was met with the sight of a rather beat up looking Alfred sitting at his kitchen table grinding garlic into a mortar and pestle for salad while Heero watched and flipped the steaks on the stove.

"I'm home." He blinked in surprise and confusion at the scene in his kitchen.

Heero turned around and smiled softly at him. "I invited Alfred to stay for dinner." Then he frowned and suddenly looked worried as a hand twisted in the dish towel hanging from his pocket. "That's alright isn't it?"

Spring into a smile, Duo exclaimed, "Sure! That's fine. He's kept us fed delivering pizzas and we might as well return the favor at least once."

Alfred chuckled at Duo's silliness. "Heero was teaching me how to defend myself and offered to let me stay."

"Yeah?" Duo looked from Heero's slightly flushed face to Alfred who was now concentrating on adding oil and vinegar to the garlic, pepper, and salt. "Why was he teaching you self defense?"

Heero answered before Alfred could. "I stopped a couple of bullies from roughing him up and he asked me to teach him how I did it."

"You did what?!" Duo exclaimed making Alfred jump in surprise. In the blink of an eye he was across the kitchen and had Heero spinning away from the stove, his hands running up and down his body looking for any kind of injury. "Are you alright? Is the baby alright? Did they hurt you?"

"Duo." Heero's cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment and something else as he felt Duo's hands stroke over his chest and down his sides. "I'm alright. They didn't even touch me."

"Heero was so awesome, Duo." Alfred informed him, once he had stopped frantically searching for a wound. "They didn't know what hit them before they were on the ground moaning in pain."

He frowned in confusion, remembering the first night they had met and look of pure terror as Heero had told him of his past with his abusive boyfriend. "Really?" His voice was quiet and Alfred stopped babbling and gushing. He realized Duo's question asked a lot more than he could possibly answer.

"Yes." Heero looked away from Duo's deep violet eyes as he flipped the steaks. "They weren't skilled at all and I was ready for them. It was easy and I've gotten stronger since you've let me stay here."

Lifting his hand Duo almost tucked a long strand of Heero's hair behind his ear before he stopped himself and let the hand fall to his shoulder instead. "Well, I'm glad neither of you were hurt."

Flicking his eyes at Duo in surprise, Heero felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He understood. Duo understood what it was like to be emotionally crippled, frightened, and distracted. Duo didn't blame him for being caught by those two buffoons; he didn't blame him for not fighting Elliot with everything he had.

Swallowing back the threat of tears and savoring the brief comfort of Duo's hand on his shoulder, Heero announced, "The steaks are done. How is that salad dressing coming Alfred?"

Duo picked a piece of lettuce out of the salad bowl and dipped into the salad dressing Alfred was stirring. "Mm." He chewed and shivered with the hint of tang. "That's very good Alfred."

"Thanks." The teenager blushed and began to pour the dressing over the lettuce and tomatoes. "Heero taught me how to make it."

The three of them sat down to dinner talking of Heero's lessons and laughing at Alfred's many failed attempts at bringing Heero down. Duo complained loudly about his horrible day at work and announced that Howard and Helen were coming over for dinner on Saturday. Everything was perfect, Heero thought. This was what he had always missed while growing up.

As Duo locked the door behind Alfred, Heero was standing over the sink rinsing off the dishes and loading them into the dish washing, reflecting on his life. Brushing a soapy hand over his slightly swollen belly he smiled. He had a baby, new friends, a father for his baby, and, most of all, a home with a partner and friend that welcomed him, supported him, and cared about him.

Tears pricked at his eyes, but he wiped them away, and smiled down at the dirty dish water. He was happy for the first time in a very ling time.

* * *

A/N: Ok so really long wait for an update. I hope ya'll liked it. I love Howard and I'm really proud of how I portrayed him here. Alfred cracks me up. He's a little awkward and nervous but he has a big heart! Duo's such a sweetie too. I really hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this chapter. I think it's one of my favorites! Read and review.


	8. Missed a Step

title: **A Stray New Life**  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 2x1x2  
warnings: past NCS, past abuse, violence, angst, hurt/comfort, m-preg  
rating: R, or NC17

summary: Heero is on the run for his life when he's saved by a beautiful and kind carpenter named Duo. Duo offers Heero a warm safe place in his home and inadvertently in his heart as well, but outside forces are conspiring to destroy Heero forever.

Chapter 08: Missed a Step

* * *

Detective Brownstone sat at his rapper covered desk staring off into space, muddy coffee turning cold in the Styrofoam cup clasped loosely in his hand. The sounds of the station around him were grating on his nerves as he waited for his partner, Detective Mariano, to return from interrogating their newest suspect.

Like so many other times before, his mind drifted to unfinished or unsolved cases, his grocery list, the bill for his kid's orthodontics, or the date for his next prostate exam. Shivering at the thought he lifted his lukewarm sludge to his mouth and took a sip fighting the urge to purse his lips at the bitter taste. God! What he wouldn't give to have some of his wife's coffee at that moment.

Around him the station continued on with its hustle and bustle and his mind continued to wonder. But unlike other completely boring instances when his mind would drift, lately he found himself thinking about that one case he and his partner were called out to the hospital for.

The doctor had suspected an emergency patient had been abused and requested that they investigate. He remembered the kid, couldn't have been more than twenty-two or three, young, nervous, and pregnant. It had been obvious the kid was hiding something even if he wasn't hiding the fact that he had been abused.

Like all cases of domestic abuse the victim had refused to press charges or even name the bastard that had beat up on him. Though, Brownstone reflected, if they had wanted to pursue it he and his partner could have taken the choice out of his hands and prosecuted the fucker to the very extent of the law. That is if they knew who he was.

There for a while they had suspected the guy that had come in ambulance with the kid, but after questioning both young men it had been obvious that he had just been a friend; a relatively new one at that. He didn't even know his own roommate was pregnant. Brownstone shook his head at the memory of the look of the poor sod's face when the doctor had mentioned prenatal vitamins.

Not unlike every other time Brownstone's mind drifted to thoughts of this poor abused kid, he couldn't help the feeling that he had seen him somewhere before; his face, older perhaps and thinner, but very familiar. Brownstone just couldn't place it and the name didn't ring any bells. Heero Yuy. A strange, very unique name but not familiar at all.

Like any detectives worth their salt, Brownstone and Mariano had run a make on the guy, Maxwell, that had come in with Heero. They didn't find anything too surprising considering. He had several run ins with the law when he was younger; loitering, graffiti, shop lifting, a few arrests for being in fights at school, nothing too surprising. Maxwell was an orphan after all and they tended to be problem children when it came to any kind of structure.

Brownstone did note that when Maxwell's place of residence changed from the group home to the residence of Howard and Helen Thornton that his criminal record pretty much ended. All in all, they could rule Maxwell out as Yuy's batterer. And that was beyond frustrating.

There was nothing that burned Brownstone, or Mariano for that matter, more than a case of abuse. It was sickening that some people got off on torturing other's like that.

Beyond the haunted look in Heero's eyes and his nervous and protesting voice, Brownstone could tell that this wasn't just a case of domestic abuse. There was something else. Something that had Heero's lips sealed even from his honestly good hearted roommate and it made John Brownstone's skin crawl.

"John!"

Jolting out of his thoughts, Brownstone spun his chair around to see his partner staring at him in annoyance. "Done with the suspect already, Frank?"

"Yeah, he's got an alibi, but we're gonna check it out." Frank Mariano eyed his partner wearily. "You doing alright, John? You've been zoning out a lot lately."

Sighing and rubbing his suddenly aching forehead, John asked, "You remember when we were called out to the hospital on a case of suspected domestic abuse?"

"Yeah." Frank leaned a hip against his partner's disheveled desk. "The pregnant kid. What about him?"

"I've just been thinking about him. He seemed really fucking familiar. I just can't place his face and his name doesn't ring any bells." John sipped at his mud coffee.

Nodding absently Frank recalled the cold dark blue eyes, the fading scratches and bruises. "Now that you mention it did feel like I'd seen him somewhere before." At the time Frank had chalked it up to the blank haunted look he'd seen in too many victims' eyes that was so repetitive.

Both men sat in silence for a moment before John shook his head, downed his coffee and stood up. "Well, let's get a move on. That alibi isn't going to check its self out."

Both men grabbed their jackets and headed for the door passing the cork bulletin board and the missing person's report, a picture of a messy browned haired blue eyed boy named Odin Lowe pinned to it.

* * *

Heero was a bundle of nervous jitters by the time three o'clock rolled around. Ever since Duo had told him that his "uncle" and "aunt" were coming over for dinner he had been worrying and fretting.

It was only after Heero had spent all of Friday cleaning the apartment and most of Saturday morning at the market to picking up groceries for the veritable feast he had planned, that Duo thought that perhaps he shouldn't have told his quiet friend that Howard and Helen were coming over specifically to meet him.

If Heero's nerves weren't enough though, Duo had to battle with his new revelation and his own worries that the two people that had practically raised him wouldn't like the man that now carried the child he would claim as his own.

Heero turned toward the kitchen dressed in his nicest pair of jeans and button down shirt that he had and was about to step over the threshold to begin cooking when his stomach suddenly pitched.

It had been weeks since he had last thrown up for any reason and of course, he moaned pitifully into the toilet, his pregnant body would choose to rebel against him today of all days. Well, there went lunch.

Heero stood up shakily and flushed the toilet. Thank God Duo was out picking up a replacement tool for one he broke during the week. Heero didn't think he could stomach any of Duo's hovering at the moment.

Brushing his teeth over the sink, Heero realized that he hadn't been this nervous or scared since the night he had run away from Elliot. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the fear he had felt as he climbed as silently as possible down the fire escape.

That night it had been just him and his baby. He had been scared out of his mind and determined to keep the little life growing inside of him safe.

Then he had met Duo.

Spitting into the sink, Heero's eyes burned and he cursed his hormones for the millionth time. He owed Duo so much. Without him he would be in a shelter somewhere or on the street struggling to keep himself alive and healthy for his baby. Closing his eyes Heero cherished the warmth that spread through him.

Straightening with a new determination, Heero marched out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he went. This was for Duo, he reminded himself, and he got to work on a feast fit a king.

* * *

Helen and Howard strolled up the stairs toward their nephew's apartment with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

They knew something in this equation wasn't quite right. Heero Yuy was dead and gone and this poor pregnant runaway living in their beloved Duo's apartment was using his name. It could be as innocent as the boy simply had the same name as their old friend, or it could be something completely sinister.

As they climbed onto the third floor and the smells of something delicious and mouth watering floated down the hall, both Helen and Howard sincerely hoped it wasn't anything sinister.

Howard pulled his arm away from his wife's and pounded on the door. No sooner had he dropped his hand did the door fly open to the sight of a beaming Duo.

"Helen! Howie!" He threw himself across the threshold and wrapped his arms tightly around them. "Come in! Heero's almost done."

"Heero's cooking?" Helen raised her brow. She had been so surprised when Howard had told her of his discovery and she was anxious to meet this young man who had the potential to rip her ducky's heart out.

"Heero does all the cooking." Duo smiled and closed the door behind them. "Since he doesn't have a job he cooks and cleans for me." He looked down feeling a sudden lead weight in his stomach.

"Well." Howard clapped his hands together. "Are we going to meet him or not?"

"Oh right!" Duo smiled again and ushered them into the kitchen.

Howard was shocked to the core when he saw the young man standing over the stove top, but when he turned around and he got a look at his face he thought he was going to pass out. The family resemblance was astonishing.

Helen gasped softly. She knew immediately who he was with his messy brown hair and his deep shadowed blue eyes. This was Heero Yuy's grandson. And he was beautiful. His cheeks were flushed from nervousness and the heat from the stove, his hair was combed but still rebellious, and his whole body seemed to glow. If she hadn't known for sure, Helen would have known immediately that this young man that looked so much like his grandfather was definitely pregnant. "Good lord." She breathed.

Duo was shocked by his old friends' reactions to Heero, but pushed his worries aside for now. "Howard, Helen. This is Heero Yuy. Heero this is Howard and Helen Thornton. They practically raised me."

Their eyes never wavered from Heero and it unnerved him more than he would have liked. He felt his stomach begin to turn again but he stepped forward and stuck out his hand like he had practiced a hundred times that afternoon. "It's nice to meet you."

Helen finally tore her eyes away from Heero's face and glanced down at his hand before sticking her arms out and pulling him to her chest before he could protest. She was never a crying woman but she feared she would start right then. "It's a pleasure to finally meet _you_, Heero."

The body in her arms had tense almost painfully and she remembered what Duo had told her a little too late. Pulling back slowly she placed gentle hands on his arms and looked him up and down, pretending not to notice the sudden fear in his eyes. "Well!" She exclaimed. "You certainly are skinny. You'll have to eat more for you and the baby."

He knew she wasn't going to harm him or his child, but the moment he had felt her hands on him he had to fight down the urge to cower, to escape, to hide and cradle his still growing baby with his hands to protect it. And all at once he felt ashamed.

"Don't listen to her, kid." Howard could almost see the emotions running across Heero's face and he realized what had made his Duo take so quickly to this lost young man. "It's nice to meet you, Heero." He stuck his hand out waiting for Heero to take it.

He glanced down at the large weathered hand before him. It reminded him of Duo's hands and that thought in its self helped give him the strength to grasp it in a firm shake. "D-dinner's almost ready, but the table isn't set. It'll be a minute so please make your selves comfortable in the living room and I'll come and-"

"Nonsense!" Helen barked with a frown that made him take a step back and glance at Duo. He hoped he hadn't done anything wrong.

Duo seeing that Heero was on the verge of rushing from the room stepped in and placed a comforting hand in the middle of his back. "It's alright Heero. In the Thornton house everyone helps out."

His shoulders uncurled as the warmth of Duo's hand and his closeness comforted him and eased his frazzled nerves. "Alright."

As the four of them crowded into the kitchen Heero couldn't help but watch in amazement as Duo, Helen, and Howard worked around each other with the practiced ease of veterans. Howard and Duo set the table while Helen helped him move all the food he had cooked into platters and trays. It made him feel… like he was part of them.

Finally they all sat down at the small square table, Duo with Heero on his right, Howard on his left, and Helen between them. Then complete chaos ensued. All at once it seemed that the three of them were talking over each other passing plates and bowls around the table and laughing when Duo almost dropped a whole bowl of salad. Heero just sat as if in a dream and thought, Is this what family is like?

"Heero." Helen called his name over Duo and Howard's arguing. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Jolting from his stunned observation, Heero blushed. "Yes, I was just… watching all of you." He reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes and shoveled a good helping, Helen's comment about his thinness echoing in his head.

Her smile softened in understanding and said without thinking, "Your parents weren't much for the family dinners."

"No my parents didn't-" Heero stopped scooping salad onto his plate and stared at her in shock and fear.

Realizing her mistake she reached over confident that neither Duo nor Howard were paying any attention to them and patted his hand comfortingly. "Howard and I knew your grandfather very well." She smiled kindly. "You look so much like him."

The sudden and overwhelming fear that had risen in his chest eased as he looking into her warm almost motherly gaze. He felt tears prick his eyes and his throat tighten up. "Yes, I've been told that." He whispered.

"Well now!" Helen felt slightly out of her element as a tear escaped Heero's deep blue eyes. She turned away and reached for the plate of steaks. "Let's get your plate full up, Heero."

He quickly brushed his tears away, he didn't want Duo to see them and ask. A soft chuckle escaped him as he watched Helen fork the largest steak left on the plate and plop it down on top of his peas. "Thank you. I-I am going to tell him."

"I know ducky." She patted his hand and forked herself a steak. "Just do it soon. Duo deserves to know."

Heero sighed. It was a relief to know that he no longer had to carry his secret by himself, but it left him with a feeling of dread. God, he hoped with all his being that Duo still wanted to be his friend, to help raise his baby after he tells him. He hoped Duo still welcomes him after he tells him that he had lied, that he isn't Heero Yuy, he is Odin Lowe.

* * *

After what seemed like hours of comfortable conversation and never ending food Helen and Howard were once again standing at the door to Duo's apartment.

"I don't think I've had food that good in a long time!" Howard bellowed. He was a little bit tipsy from the wine Duo had opened and feeling good.

"What about my cooking?" Helen glared half heartedly at her husband as she watched Heero's mouth quirk into a tiny smile.

"Woman!" Howard huffed. "If your cooking was half as good as Heero's we wouldn't have to order out so damned much." He flicked his eyes over to the blushing young man and gave him a cheeky wink.

Rolling his eyes, Duo waved his hands at his aunt and uncle and started to push them closer to the door. "Alright, out you go. It's getting late and Heero has to get some rest."

"Ooh! Don't let Duo boss you around." Helen scolded as she side stepped him and stood in front of Heero.

Heero didn't say that he would have let Duo boss him around all day long. "Thank you for coming. It was pleasure meeting you." He gave the fiery red head a small smile and stuck out his hand for a hand shake.

She gave him a bright smile and ignored his hand as she opened her arms, giving him the choice this time. Heero looked at her in a mixture of fear and longing before he tentatively stepped forward and let him self be enveloped in those strong soft arms. Helen's warmth surrounded him and he almost melted into the embrace, his hands coming up to grasp almost desperately to the back of her shirt.

Helen felt Heero's face press to her shoulder and her shirt grow damp, but she simply smiled and rubbed his back. "Take care of your self ducky." She whispered. "We'll do this again soon."

Biting back the rest of his tears, Heero reluctantly pulled away from her and nodded, savoring the maternal feeling of her embrace. "Sometime soon."

Howard stepped forward and clasped a hand to Heero's shoulder. "Take care of our Duo. It's about time he found some one to look after him."

Smiling, Heero nodded and watched as the couple hugged Duo and slipped out the door.

A comfortable silence slipped over the apartment, and Duo turned to see a strangely wistful look on Heero's face. "So, what did you think?"

Moving his eyes to Duo, Heero replied. "They were wonderful."

"Nah." Duo shrugged and headed toward the kitchen to begin clean up. "They're crazy the both of them. But," he smiled back at Heero, "they have always been there when I needed them."

"You are fortunate," Heero said as he began to pick of the plates and dishes from the table, "to have family that cares about you." His parents had never cared about him beyond his basic needs.

Remembering what little Heero had told him about his own family, Duo turned off the faucet and squeezed soap into the hot water filled sink before turning around to look at his suddenly saddened roommate. "Heero. Your parents, I find it hard to believe that they didn't care about you."

Not looking up from the dirty plates in his hands, Heero could tell that the time had nearly come. "The only one in my family who ever showed affection for me was my grandfather."

"But why?" Duo burst out in frustration and hurt that anyone with a son as kind and amazing as Heero could ever ignore him. "How could they not care for you? You're amazing. You're strong and brave and smart." He scoffed, partly at his own clumsy words and his aching heart, and partly in disgust at these nameless faceless people that had neglected his friend.

"Do you really think so?" His voice was almost a whisper and Heero feared if he raised it any louder it would surly croak with the tightness in his throat.

Duo raised his head from glaring at the floor and felt his heart crack at the look of doubt and hope on Heero's face. Stepping forward he took the plates from Heero's hands and circled his arms around him, pulling him close to his chest. "Heero, you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met."

Heero squeezed his eyes closed and sobbed a quiet, "Thank you", before he buried his face in Duo's shoulder and wrapped his arms around Duo's waist holding on as tightly as he dared.

He loved the feel of Heero against him and the warmth of his body, but the tears soaking into his shirt worried him. It seemed like Heero had been crying a lot lately. "Are you alright, Heero?"

"Yes." He croaked as he loosened his grip on Duo and pulled his face away from his wet shoulder. "It's all these hormones. I can't seem to stop crying."

"That's okay." Duo grinned at his frustrated frown and lifted a hand brush the tears away with his thumb. "I didn't like this shirt anyway."

He succeeded in drawing a small laugh out of Heero and he patted himself on the back. "Now come on. You're exhausted I can see it in your eyes. Let's go to bed. The dishes can wait till tomorrow."

Nodded in acknowledgement of that fact, Heero pulled away completely and lead the way down the hall toward their separate bedrooms. He had missed telling Duo tonight, but he knew he would tell him soon. He had to tell him soon.

Stopping before he entered his room Duo turned to Heero and gave him a warm smile. "Have nice dreams, Heero."

Looking back over his shoulder at his friend, roommate, savior, Heero smiled in return. "You too, Duo." Then he stepped into his room and closed the door silently behind him.

Duo waited till the door was closed before he let the smile slip from his face. Heero was so beautiful and he didn't even know. And he couldn't tell him. He glowed no matter what he was doing. Duo knew it was partly do to pregnancy, but he also knew it was partly due to his own attraction to the messy haired runaway.

Sighing he turned back to his own door and closed it behind him. His heart ached, it had for a while and he just hadn't really known why. Now he knew. He was in love with Heero. And it frightened him.

The uncertainty that his love could ever be returned, the certainty that it wouldn't wane, the fear and excitement of falling in love with Heero's baby; it all weighed heavily on him and he felt as if the world was on his shoulders. He wanted so much to be what Heero needed, what his baby needed.

Sighing again Duo got ready for bed and slipped under his covers, not for the first time feeling lonely and longing to feel Heero's arms around him and his around Heero like that night of nightmares not so long ago.

* * *

A/N: Rolling emotions. The detectives missed it! How could they miss it?! Very easily evidently. I hope ya'll liked it. This was a faster update! Like I promised. Sort of. Keep watch for the next one!


	9. Take Good Care of My Baby

title: **A Stray New Life**  
fandom: Gundam Wing  
genre: AU  
parings: 2x1x2  
warnings: past NCS, past abuse, violence, angst, hurt/comfort, m-preg  
rating: R, or NC17

summary: Heero is on the run for his life when he's saved by a beautiful and kind carpenter named Duo. Duo offers Heero a warm safe place in his home and inadvertently in his heart as well, but outside forces are conspiring to destroy Heero forever.

Chapter 09: Take Good Care of My Baby

* * *

Heero sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror over the sink in the bathroom. His hair was getting long; he would have to get it cut soon, as it was his bangs almost reached his nose.

His eyes scanned over his face taking in every detail.

It had been so long since he really looked at himself. He didn't particularly like what he saw.

A faded scar was etched just above his right brow where he had hit the kitchen table when he fainted those weeks ago. The skin on his left cheek was lighter and slightly pinked reflecting a damaging rug burn, among other things. He turned his face to the right and ran his eyes over the thin scar running down the left side of his neck; a stray lash of a belt.

Facing the mirror head on once again he studied himself. All he saw was scars and bad memories.

A sudden morbid curiosity made him pull his t-shirt over his head and look at his chest and stomach beneath.

His right shoulder was peppered with the round burn scars of a cigarette; they traveled down that arm as well. A jagged scar ran just above his left collar bone: being thrown down against a glass coffee table. His fingers traced over several pale scars that crossed over his stomach and his ribs; he couldn't quite remember where they had come from.

Turning around he glanced over his shoulder and looked at his back in the mirror. The whole expanse was littered with the remnants of belt lashings, fingernail clawing, one or two cigarette burns, and three long puckered scars from the time Elliot was so incensed that he forgot and whipped Heero with the belt buckle instead of the softer more forgiving leather.

A shudder ran up Heero's spine and he quickly turned away from his reflection and moved to the shower to start the water.

His body was ugly.

He covered it up as much as possible. He no longer wore tank tops to clean house in, but regular t-shirts, and always jeans. No more shorts.

Pulling his pajama pants off, Heero climbed into the tub and closed the curtain submerging him self under the steaming spray. It was times like these when he washed in water too hot and scrubbed a little bit too hard.

He had had a dream again the night before. This time it was of the first time Elliot took him.

Painful, unfulfilling, surprising, and traumatizing were some of the ways to describe it. Heero remembered that there had been blood, but thankfully no tearing. Elliot had only lasted about as long as it took him to find completion before he withdrew and left Heero to lay there, eyes shut and breath hitching.

The water felt too cold now, but Heero didn't adjust the temperature. He didn't know just how hot was too hot for his baby to withstand.

Running the soapy washcloth over his body with gentle hands, Heero wouldn't allow himself to scrub until he bled. He had more than himself to think about now.

The cloth moved over his belly and he felt a small smile creep across his lips.

In his thirteenth week of pregnancy his belly was finally beginning to show a little more. Heero was looking more and more pregnant by the day and it was exciting as well as frightening.

His smile grew as he remembered the last ultrasound he had. The baby had been sucking its thumb and Duo had gone out to buy a frame for that print out. It now sat next to a picture of Helen and Howard on the site of some nameless construction project.

Heero had never smiled so much in one day than the day he came home from the market and found it there amidst all of Duo's other pictures. That one act made him feel so much more like he actually belonged than like a squatter taking up space.

Duo.

Duo had been so wonderful.

The washcloth scrubbed over Heero's back and shoulders. He ignored when it caught on his scars until it glided over the raised scars over his lower back and upper thighs. His heart sank and he shuddered.

Duo... Heero rinsed the soap away and touched his lips unconsciously before he reached for the shampoo. He could have sworn Duo was about to kiss him earlier that morning as he rushed out the door to make the bus on time.

He had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Something that Heero found impossibly amusing and somewhat endearing. Duo had been about to bolt out of the door when Heero caught him and handed over his forgotten lunch pale.

As Duo reached for it he smiled thankfully and leaned toward Heero's slightly smiling face. At that moment everything had seemed to slow down. Their faces had inched closer and closer together until the sound of a neighbor shutting their door down the hall made Duo jumped and pull away taking his lunch with him as he rushed out the door with a shouted farewell over his shoulder.

Heero's eyes closed as he leaned his head back under the spray, shampoo lather running down his face and body. His finger once again came to touch his lips as the memory ran through his mind.

It frightened him how his body had begun to lean toward Duo, how his lips seemed to ready themselves, how his eyes had begun to close. It frightened, worried, and saddened him.

It wasn't that he had never been touched my Duo, or that he was uncomfortable with the other man's touch, but the thought of an act so intimate as kissing made his gut clinch in fear and his heart pound in nervousness.

He knew he wasn't built to be loved, that romantic love was far beyond his reach, but the look that had been in Duo's eyes made butterflies spark and flutter in his stomach.

But... But Duo had been so kind to him, Duo wanted to be his baby's father, Duo didn't look at him with disgust or pity. Duo was beautiful.

Heero sighed deeply as he shut the water off and grabbed the fluffy yellow bath towel off the rack. Duo was so beautiful and Heero felt dull in comparison. His long golden brown braid and his deep sparkling violet eyes were so vibrant, not to mention his physical strength and his gentle work calloused and roughened hands were things about him that made Heero feel safe and welcome.

Out of the corner of his eye, Heero caught brief glimpses of his body covered in scars in the mirror.

No, Heero couldn't compare to Duo.

He dried himself off and ran his hands tenderly over his swelling belly. This was the only truly beautiful thing about him, his baby. His chest suddenly ached with too much love to contain. It was almost unbelievable how much he loved his baby already.

Even if he couldn't have romantic love, even if Duo couldn't possible care for him in that way, Heero knew that Duo would always be his friend and that he wasn't alone anymore. Duo wouldn't leave Heero and his baby alone.

Resolving to be thankful for what he did have, Heero wrapped the towel around his waist and left the steamy bathroom to get dressed and head to the market, then to some clothing stores to buy bigger clothes.

* * *

Duo sighed as he knocked his head against the bus window. He had been so close to kissing Heero that morning he could almost taste the orange juice the other man had drank during breakfast.

But he couldn't let himself think about that.

Heero was just getting his feet underneath him, just starting to show that he's pregnant, just getting comfortable with human contact. He wouldn't allow himself to jeopardize Heero's progress like that.

Of course the fact that he was so madly in love with Heero that his chest ached almost constantly didn't help either.

Every smile, chuckle, sigh that came out that young man's lips was perhaps the most beautiful thing Duo had ever witnessed. Being able to watch as his body filled out and his belly began to swell was breathtaking. Heero's inner glow never seemed to fade and it positively tortured Duo.

He knew his quiet friend was very body shy and Duo understood perfectly why, but it was very apparent in the way Heero held himself that he was not just self conscious. Duo could tell that he didn't think he was very attractive in any sense of the word.

And Duo had to disagree with every fiber of his being.

Heero's eyes were so blue that Duo could almost see the ocean in them, his hair such a warm soft texture that Duo ached to run his fingers through it, his body strong and capable but so comforting and reassuring that Duo longed to hold it against his own.

It was obviously getting to the point of the ridiculous. Duo couldn't do anything about it. Heero was scarred in more ways than one and Duo would not add to those scars.

Gritting his teeth in a sudden surge of anger, Duo fisted his hands feeling his nails digging into his palms. If he ever got his hands on that fucker that did that to Heero he would give new meaning to the words "table saw".

How someone could abuse anyone, especially someone like Heero, the way that bastard had made Duo's stomach turn.

He didn't know all the details of Heero's abuse and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He wasn't sure he could keep his anger contained long enough to be told. Just the fact that the maniac had frightened and beaten Heero, had _forced_ Heero was bad enough. Duo didn't know what he would do if he actually had a blow by blow narrative.

A shiver ran down his spine as the bus pulled up at another stop letting more passengers on and off.

But still Duo wondered just how much of his abuse Heero was hiding from plain sight. He wondered if Heero cringed inwardly every time they brushed passed each other, he wondered if Heero could ever be happy, content, comfortable enough to kiss anyone.

He was jumping ahead of himself he knew.

Duo had to keep reminding himself that just because he loved, was in love with Heero didn't mean that Heero could ever return his affection passed the point of treasured friend and father of his child. But how he wished Heero would.

There were so many things he felt he wanted to say, to show, to do, but he didn't have a name for them or the words to describe them. Just sitting in the doctor's office his and Heero's hands held together as they watched yet another ultrasound made his heart swell with love.

It frightened him that he could already love something that was literally only three inches long so much that he carried a printed ultrasound photo around in his wallet. And the baby wasn't even biologically his!

But Duo knew that didn't really matter. He already loved the baby as if he had been the one to conceive it with Heero. He already knew what it felt like to fill with pride while watching his child squirm around on a monitor. He already felt the cold scorching fear at the thought of anything bad happening to it.

Huffing out a breath Duo almost laughed at himself. He never imagined he would become a father. Never imagined he would find someone that he wanted to love and spend the rest of his life with, but he had and he was going to hold onto it with the ferociousness of a wild animal.

He could live with love only that of friendship and of child and parent if it meant he got to keep Heero and his baby in his life. He would content himself with that if he had to. But by God, did he hope he didn't.

Finally the bus came to his stop and he got out of his seat making his way up the isle and down the steps throwing a passing wave at the drive before he turned and started to walk the five blocks to the job site.

As he walked he could feel his tool belt bumping against the bulge in his back pocket where his over stuffed wallet resided. A smile curved on his lips as he thought about the latest in a whole album of baby photos he had stashed in one of the slots.

Yeah, he thought. He was happy now. He loved Heero and loved Heero's baby, and everything else uncertain in the future he couldn't bring himself to worry about yet.

* * *

It had been six weeks since Odin had disappeared and Elliot was no closer to finding him. It was almost as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

But Elliot Palmer knew that possessions didn't simply vanish. They went missing or were stolen.

He knew Odin had been stolen from him, but by who and why he knew not.

For two years he nurtured and cared for and supported Odin. For two years he worked hard to teach him how to be a good boyfriend. For two years he himself had slaved in his labor of love to train the beautiful dark haired and blue eyed boy.

And he was not going to let those years go to waste.

No one had satisfied him the way Odin had. No one had been quite as delightful the way Odin had. No one had tried so hard to please the way Odin had.

Yes, Elliot ran a hand over his slicked blond hair. Odin would come back to him. Odin would come back.

After all, if he couldn't have his toy, no one would.

The door to his high rise office opened and Everett the chauffer stepped in. "Mister Palmer, sir."

"Everett." Elliot swiveled his chair back to face his oily driver. "You did not find him."

"No Sir. I checked every shelter, hospital, and safe house in the city. Odin was not in any of them." Failing his employer had upset Everett quite a bit. When he does find him, Odin won't be able to get away.

Tapping his shiny designer shoe on the cold marble floor, Elliot could feel his patients waning. "Six weeks. Six weeks without my art, my toy. This cannot go on Everett."

"I will broaden the search. He will be found." The driver bowed and slinked out of the office.

Elliot curled his manicured fingers over the leather arms of his chair and inhaled deeply imagining Odin's smell penetrating his senses. "I will not rest until I find you and bring you home Odin."

* * *

A/N: This was more introspective for the characters and I hope it informed ya'll. The next chapter should be out soon! Please Review!


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